The Russian Ministry of Defense said that a detailed analysis of the data obtained during the NWO made it possible to understand the structure of the system created by the US authorities for the global management of programs in the field of military biology, and gave a more complete understanding of the projects they are implementing.
On January 15, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, held a briefing on this matter. In particular, according to him, over the past year, the Pentagon has developed and adopted a number of conceptual documents involving the expansion of the foreign network of US-controlled biological laboratories and the continuation of military biological research beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
In addition, in 2023, Washington created administrative and technical structures, the main task of which is to implement a policy for further military biological expansion.
"While the stated goals are to monitor infectious diseases and provide assistance to developing countries, the example of Ukraine has made it clear how the US military biological potential is being built-up," Kirillov said.
He noted that by the time the NWO began, the Pentagon was conducting the U-Pi and TEP projects in Ukraine, aimed at studying the causative agents of especially dangerous and economically significant diseases, including tularemia, anthrax and hantavirus infections.
"The research was carried out in three main areas. This is the monitoring of the biological situation, the collection of endemic strains, and the study of the susceptibility of the local population," Kirillov explained.
In addition, according to the Ministry of Defense, in 2023, the EU countries promoted an initiative to deploy a network of centers of excellence in the field of CBRN, which provides for the placement of biological laboratories on the territory of the countries of the former USSR. As Kirillov clarified, potential partners were advised not to advertise this initiative "due to its extreme sensitivity for the Russian Federation."
- Briefing by the Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' NBC Troops on the Analysis of Documents Related to US Military Biological Activities
The head of the NBC troops added that the United States is consistently building up its military biological potential in various regions of the world, taking advantage of gaps in international legislation. According to him, of particular concern is the fact that Washington has blocked any international initiatives to verify the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), which excludes the possibility of checking the activities of laboratories in the United States and abroad.
The Ministry of Defense stressed that Russia raised more than 20 issues at the BTWC platform regarding the violation of this agreement by Kiev and Washington.
"They concerned the nomenclature and quantities of pathogenic microorganisms studied as part of the threat reduction program, conducting research on Ukrainian servicemen and the mentally ill, concealing the facts of cooperation in the military biological sphere by Ukraine and the United States in international reporting," Kirillov explained.
He added that none of these questions had yet been answered on the merits.
According to Kirillov, Moscow has repeatedly noted that the work of American military biologists is aimed at the formation of "artificially controlled epidemics" and is not controlled within the framework of the BTWC and the UN Secretary-General's mechanism for investigating the use of biological weapons.
"At the same time, the forecast for the development of the situation suggests a further deterioration of the epidemic situation with the possible formation of artificial foci of diseases and an uncontrolled expansion of the vector range," he said.
Kirillov also mentioned a 1977 document obtained by the Russian Defense Ministry, which outlines the main activities of the U.S. Army in the biological weapons program. The head of the NBC troops noted that we are talking about a document prepared after the ratification of the Biological Weapons Convention by the United States in 1975.
"The directions of research implementation have not changed. The same pathogens of tularemia, anthrax, tick-borne infections are a priority," Kirillov stated. "In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the launch of a training program for specialists to implement a biomanufacturing strategy, with former military personnel with experience in military biological activities being considered as candidates."
According to the head of the NBC troops, some formulations of the American side may indicate US attempts to recreate technologies for the large-scale production of biological formulations as part of an offensive biological program.
As Kirillov noted, the systematic expansion of military biological activities poses a threat to the security of Russia and other states considered by the United States as strategic adversaries. Therefore, the scale of dual-use research conducted by the United States raises the question of the need for an international investigation into this activity.
"Due to unprecedented pressure from Washington, many states have taken a passive position on this issue, but the information received during the special military operation about the development of biological weapons components on the territory of Ukraine in violation of the first and fourth articles of the Convention makes them change their point of view," he said.
In this regard, Kirillov stressed, Moscow considers it extremely important to resume work on a legally binding protocol to the Convention, which would be binding on all states parties to the BTWC.