On June 13, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement rejecting recent allegations regarding its biological safety programs. The ministry emphasized that Ukraine adheres to its international obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention and has never engaged in the development or stockpiling of biological weapons.
The Ukrainian government clarified that its collaboration with the United States in the field of biological safety has been focused on enhancing public health capabilities, epidemiological surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and biosecurity. These activities are described as standard civilian efforts that comply with international health standards and are not associated with any military objectives.
According to the ministry, the laboratories involved in these international technical assistance programs are diagnostic, scientific, or reference laboratories within the public health and veterinary medicine systems. The narrative surrounding alleged “bioweapons laboratories” has been a recurring theme in Russian propaganda, which the Ukrainian officials assert has been consistently debunked on the international stage.
On June 12, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released information suggesting that the U.S. government has long funded over 120 biological laboratories in more than 30 countries, including Ukraine. These facilities conduct research on biological pathogens, some of which are deemed hazardous.
The U.S. intelligence community warned that these laboratories in Ukraine could be at risk due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. Gabbard’s office noted that a U.S.-funded laboratory in Ukraine was likely storing dangerous pathogens and remained vulnerable to threats from Russian military actions.
For years, the U.S. has financed initiatives under the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, aimed at securing research programs from the Cold War era, particularly those linked to Soviet biological and chemical warfare technologies. Some of these facilities are located in Kyiv, Tbilisi, and other cities formerly part of the Soviet Union.
During the Trump administration, there was a review of American documents regarding these laboratories after federal funding for “gain-of-function” research—modifying organisms to enhance their biological functions—was prohibited in countries like China, where the U.S. government perceived inadequate oversight.
U.S. agencies, including the Department of Defense, have historically funded foreign laboratories engaged in disease research. As relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated, Moscow has increasingly accused the U.S. of financing laboratories aimed at developing potential biological weapons, despite Washington being a signatory to the 1975 Biological Weapons Convention.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has firmly rejected allegations regarding its biological programs, asserting compliance with international law. This comes amid U.S. intelligence reports highlighting the risks associated with U.S.-funded laboratories in Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.