Russia slams ‘unacceptable’ research by US near its border for bioweapons program

Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergei Ryabkov, has alleged that the United States is carrying out research into pathogens near the Russian border for use in America's biological weapons program. The Deputy Foreign Minister, in charge of arms control, made the claim on Thursday, reported Sputnik.  

Briefing reporters in Moscow on Russia's fears, Ryabkov said "Russia has every reason to believe that components of biological weapons have been developed in the immediate vicinity of Russian borders." He further stated that Russia had particularly "observed the US and its allies conducting biological warfare research beyond their national borders, including on our neighbours’ territory." 

Russia to present proof against the US at Geneva Conference

Adding further to his statement, Sergei Ryabkov stated that Russia finds the practice of sampling human pathogens by foreign military officials near Russia's borders "unacceptable". He alleged that foreign military personnel have been exporting national collections and samples of infectious diseases, including extremely dangerous strains which are vaccine-resistant, for the development of bioweapons.  

Ryabkov said Moscow would present proof of America conducting such research in Ukraine on the sidelines of the upcoming Geneva conference. Meanwhile, the allegations of conducting research in the field were denied by Washington. However, if Russia's allegations turn out correct, the United States would be in violation of the Biological Weapons Convention, which it signed up for and ratified in the 1970s.   

"The Russian delegation will hold a separate, open-door event at the upcoming review conference during which our experts will again present the evidence at their disposal and raise the biological warfare activities in Ukraine," Sputnik quoted Ryabkov as saying.  

The remarks by the senior Russian diplomat were made at a briefing ahead of the 9th edition of the Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention. The convention is set to take place in Switzerland from November 28 to December 16. The Biological Weapons Convention prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons. It additionally advocates the destruction of such weapons.  

Pentagon's alleged pathogen research in Ukraine has been under Russia's crosshairs since March. However, Ukrainian authorities and their American sponsors have repeatedly "brushed aside these signals and claims," the diplomat claimed. Meanwhile, as per his statement, Moscow will now seek to improve trust-building measures in the upcoming convention to hold signatories accountable for conducting illicit research abroad.  

Since the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military has discovered multiple US-funded facilities in Ukraine with evidence of biowarfare studies. After initial denials, Washington admitted to funding 46 such biolabs in Ukraine. However, both the US and Ukraine have denied that the labs served military purposes.