DISINFO: American laboratories in Ukraine were developing biological weapons
SUMMARY
American biolaboratories in the post-Soviet space collect biological materials, study the spread of dangerous diseases. The Pentagon did not create these laboratories to provide medical assistance to the local population, but in effect to try to create biological weapons. This is exactly what was happening in Ukraine.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about biological weapons being developed in countries bordering Russia. This narrative is a part of a years-long disinformation campaign led by the Kremlin.
The claim is one of many attempts to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
There are no US biological warfare laboratories in Ukraine. Ukraine is one of the states cooperating with the US Department of Defence's Biological Threat Reduction Programme (BTRP): the goal of the BTRP is to safeguard global health by preventing and containing the outbreak of infectious diseases and establishing high international standards in biological security.
A complete list of medical and scientific laboratories that the Pentagon has supported under the agreement since 2005 is on the website of the US Embassy in Ukraine, along with documents and amounts spent on the reconstruction of a particular facility.
The US Department of State has stated that "The US does not own or operate any chemical or biological laboratories in Ukraine, it is in full compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons Convention." Read more about this topic here.
See similar cases claiming that the US creates ethnic weapons against Russians and Slavs in its biolabs, that US military biological laboratories encircle Russia, or US tests ethnic weapons against Slavs in its biolabs in Ukraine.
See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.