DISINFO: Biological laboratories in Ukraine are created to cause problems for Russia
SUMMARY
The number of biological laboratories in Ukraine after 2014 has increased almost 3 times. It is quite obvious that this work has an anti-Russian orientation and, in this case, is aimed at containing Russia, at creating problems. Their main goal is to ensure the US access to bioweapons.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about alleged US biolabs in countries bordering Russia aiming to encircle Moscow and spread infectious diseases. This narrative is part of a years-long disinformation campaign led by the Kremlin.
The claim is one of the 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.
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."
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.