Russia says US takes advantage of loopholes in international legislation to develop its military biological potential

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that the US is developing its military biological potential in various countries, including Ukraine, by taking advantage of loopholes in international legislation.

The head of the Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Force, Igor Kirillov, said at a news conference in Moscow that Russian armed forces obtained additional information about the US military biological activities in Ukraine.

Kirillov said the US is also manipulating a lack of a clear verification mechanism to improve its military biological potential in various regions of the world.

He said information obtained confirms numerous violations of the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological Weapons.

“The Russian Defense Ministry managed to uncover the role of the US in its military-biological activities on the territory of Ukraine," he said.

He noted the US previously disclosed information about the coordination of activities of biological laboratories and research institutes in Ukraine and said one of the elements of the scheme is the institution called the Ukrainian Center for Science and Technology, which "at first glance seems to be a public organization unrelated to the Pentagon."

Kirillov noted that the institution functions as the distribution center of grants for conducting research, involving the Pentagon, including on biological weapons.

Washington spent more than $350 million on projects in the center in recent years, according to Kirillov.

The US has repeatedly said it “does not own or operate any chemical or biological laboratories in Ukraine” and does not develop or possess such weapons.

The Biden administration accused Russia last month of "inventing false claims" about the US and said that the allegations were unfounded.

US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that “Ukraine has biological research facilities” and they were concerned that “Russian forces may be seeking to gain control” of the facilities.