“20 000 Documents” by the Kremlin that [DO NOT] Confirm the Creation of Bio-weapons in Ukraine

On January 30th, 2022, the head of the radiation, chemical and biological defence forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, claim at a briefing that “in the course of the special operation,” the Russian military obtained more than 20,000 documents related to the creation of components of biological weapons by the Pentagon and their testing in the countries bordering Ukraine and Russia. 

Kirillov’s briefing was actively covered by the Russian propaganda media (RT на русском, РИА НОВОСТИ, ЗВЕЗДА, Gazeta.ru, Regnum.ru, Известия) and Georgian (1,2) and Russian (1) Facebook accounts.

The propaganda program of the First Channel of Russia – Human and Law also prepared a story about the documents published by the Ministry of Defense of Russia.

The documents published by the Russian Ministry of Defense do not provide any kind of evidence that would confirm the creation of biological weapons components by the US in Ukraine. The mentioned documents are available in open sources. Annexes to the order issued by the Ministry, which are presented as official documents, do not bear signatures and seals and have no official value. The Ministry has published some of the mentioned documents in the past as well.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has been voicing disinformation about the Pentagon-funded laboratories in Ukraine and the countries of the former Soviet Union, claiming that they are working on the creation of biological weapons. This message has been amplified after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Ministry periodically publishes various documents, which, according to it, substantiate the claims. The latest briefing on this topic was held by the Ministry of Defense on January 30th and published three different types of “evidence” in the form of files on the Telegram channel. The Ministry of Defense claims that tests are conducted on the population and military personnel in the bio laboratories funded by the Pentagon in Ukraine. Various accusations were made at the briefing. Kirillov repeated the assertion about the involvement of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in the emergence of a new type of Coronavirus. According to the Ministry, the examination of the documents revealed that the main role in the implementation of similar projects was played by the organization EcoHealth Alliance.

The first part of the published “evidence” deals with virological research, covering five different documents.

Virological Research

The first document that the Russian Ministry of Defense released as evidence is, in fact, the EcoHealth Alliance project’s grant application and grant confirmation.

The first page of the mentioned document explains that EcoHealth Alliance received a grant for the project – “Understanding Risk of Zoonotic Virus Emergence in EID Hotspots of Southeast Asia” from the US State Department of Health. The document describes in detail the project goals and ways of implementation, explaining that the research will help determine the risk of new viruses emerging in the Southeast Asian region and strengthen the country’s research capacity in collaboration with the International Network of Local Infectious Disease Science. As part of the project, new disease researchers from the US, Thailand, Singapore and the three main administrative regions of Malaysia will work to identify new viruses in a timely manner and warn the population to protect against the threat of an impending pandemic. The document describes in detail the biography and work experience of the main figures participating in the project. Letters of approval and project support from EcoHealth Alliance partner organizations are also attached to the application.

It should be noted that the information, which, according to the Ministry of Defense, was obtained “within the special operation,” is also available on the website of the organization – EcoHealth Alliance. The project is funded by the US Department of Health, and grant information is also published by the NIH.

According to the Ministry of Defense of Russia, EcoHealth Alliance specialists have been studying the diversity of bat populations since 2015, looking for new strains of coronaviruses and the mechanisms of their transmission from animals to humans, claiming that these attempts are linked to the spread of the Coronavirus.

Notably, Southeast Asia is one of the world’s highest-risk EID hotspots and the epicentre of the SARS pandemic. In addition, there is a high incidence of repeated outbreaks of new influenza strains and the spread of dangerous viral pathogens such as the Nipah virus. This is due to the diversity of wildlife in the region and the rapidly growing population. Due to the fact that the clinical manifestations of viruses and their potential to cause a pandemic are unknown, EcoHealth Alliance works to identify the risk of spreading this disease in order to ensure a timely response. There is no evidence in the published documents that the organization was behind the creation of the virus.

The collaboration between EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EcoHealth Alliance has been embroiled in scandal. The company spent five years conducting research on bats with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was funded by the US National Institutes of Health. In 2020, the grant funding was discontinued. A year later, the US Department of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published a detailed analysis of the EcoHealth Alliance study and concluded that the viruses studied were evolutionarily distant from SARS-CoV and could not have been the source of the COVID-19 pandemic. It should be noted that Kirillov did not mention the company’s cooperation with China and made accusations only against the US. This fact was also touched upon by the Insider.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the high readiness of US manufacturers to create a vaccine for the new Coronavirus is also suspicious. The claim aimed at creating the impression that pharmaceutical companies developed vaccines in advance, but due to the complexity of the virus, they could not bring it to the market quickly, which was later “manifested by the low effectiveness of vaccination and many side reactions”. It should be noted here that the Russian vaccine Sputnik V was the first-ever registered vaccine against Covid-19.

What is Event-201?

The Ministry of Defense links the emergence of the new coronavirus to  “Event-201,” which was held on October 18th, 2019, with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, at the Johns Hopkins University. The Ministry claims that within the framework of the event, actions were carried out in the context of the previously unknown coronavirus epidemics, which raises doubts about the origin of Covid-19. In the simulation, the participants faced problems that could theoretically arise due to the spread of new viruses. In the past, disinformation related to Event-201 has been verified by the British fact-checking organization FullFact. Such types of models were carried out even before the Covid-19 pandemic, for example,  Clade X, within which the theoretical case of the spread of the invented virus was discussed. In the case of Event-201, the Coronavirus was chosen for modelling due to the fact that the MERS and SARS coronaviruses were spread around the world in the recent past.

The Ministry of Defense published four more documents in the virological research section. The second document represents an informative presentation of the project – “Understanding the Risk of Bat-borne Zoonotic Disease Emergence”.

Research centres in Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Armenia and Georgia were involved in the project. The project partner from Georgia was the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health – Lugar Laboratory.

The presentation noted that bats carry zoonotic viral threats around the world, and since there is only little is known about the disease, more efforts are needed to strengthen zoonotic disease surveillance, risk assessment and information sharing in the region. Within the framework of the project, more than 25 regional scientists were trained in viral sampling, biosurveillance and cold chain sample transport storage. More than 2700 clinical samples of bats were collected.

Information about the project is also available on the website of the research centres, including the NCDC.

The third document is an informational presentation from the Western Asia Bat Research Network. The introduction mentions that bats carry more zoonotic diseases than other mammals. Therefore, it is important to study them in order to reveal the risks of transferring this disease to humans.

The last two documents (1, 2), which, according to the Ministry of Defense of Russia, confirm the participation of the US in the creation of the Coronavirus, were published earlier as well. Back in August 2022, the same documents were posted on the Telegram channel of the Ministry as new evidence.

The documents provide information about the USAID-funded project PREDICT, which is linked to the emergence of the pandemic.

What is the project PREDICT?

The Russian Ministry of Defense links the spread of COVID-19 to the USAID project PREDICT. It is worth noting that one of the documents that the Ministry published to prove this theory is the information brochure of the project, which can be easily found on the Internet.

PREDICT is a project of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats program, which was launched in 2009. The goal of the project was to enhance the global capacity to detect viruses that can be transmitted from animals to humans and have the potential to transform into a pandemic. PREDICT has made a significant contribution to the resilience of epidemic control globally and strengthened the capacity of laboratories to diagnose filoviruses (including the Ebola virus), influenza viruses, and known and newly discovered viruses from the coronavirus groups. On April 1st, 2020, the funding of PREDICT program was extended to ensure the strengthening of the response to Covid-19 and to foster the technical and material support of partners.

Conducting Trials on Ukrainian Citizens and Military Personnel

Five pieces of “evidence” have been uploaded in the second file of documents – “Conducting Trials on Ukrainian Citizens and Military Personnel”.

The documents refer to the use of the drug “C60 fullerene” to reduce skeletal muscle fatigue. In the first document, it is explained that the constant performance of tasks during the course of the war leads to a decrease in the working capacity of military personnel, which is manifested by muscle fatigue, leading to the development of muscle pain sensitivity. Due to the importance of this issue, the Taras Shevchenko Center of the Military Institute, on the basis of Kyiv National University, started research on the topic: “Technology of using C60 fullerenes to reduce skeletal muscle fatigue”.

Three decrees have been uploaded in the file, permitting to conduct experiments on military personnel. According to the document, the experiment is organized by the research centre based at Taras Shevchenko University. The document is dated 2022; however, there is no signature, no seal, no institution logo or other identifying mark on any of them.

Source: Russian Ministry of Defence

Notably, information about C60 fullerene research, which was conducted to reduce skeletal muscle fatigue, can also be found on the website of the research centre based at Taras Shevchenko University. The document “Scientific Research Work at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Results for 2022 and Tasks for 2023,” notes that the experiment was conducted on rats, and based on the fact that no abnormalities or pathological changes caused by exposure to C60 fullerenes were detected, a recommendation was made to continue the tests.

Studies have shown that “C60 fullerene” reduces skeletal muscle fatigue in rats more effectively than known exogenous antioxidants. Following this conclusion, a recommendation was issued to conduct practical clinical trials, which envisages the use of C60 fullerene in increasing the level of endurance and combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In addition, the website of the National Library of Medicine features information about research, according to which, the drug “Fullerene C 60” reduces the growth of malignant tumours. The experiment was conducted on a group of mice. The findings show that “C60 fullerenes” can be used in cancer therapy as well.

“US Experiments on HIV infections on Military Personnel”

Kirillov also noted that the US has been conducting experiments on HIV infections in Ukraine since 2019, including military personnel. Kirillov refers to the Program President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Pentagon’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP). The mentioned part of the briefing was verified by the fact-checking platform – The Insider.

In fact, none of the projects named by Kirilov involve conducting experiments. The program is limited to testing for HIV infection, including among military personnel of various countries. The goal of the program is to improve coordination between the ministries of defence and health, record keeping, easier access to condoms, fight against stigma and discrimination, etc. The program notes that HIV infections have a devastating impact on military personnel around the world. It causes physical and emotional impairment to those infected, as well as endangers other military personnel; therefore, it is important to detect cases in time and provide appropriate services.

DHAPP Ukraine supports cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health to provide timely detection of HIV cases in military personnel and integration of the military database with the Ministry of Health Community Center. The prevalence of HIV among military personnel is still unknown, but referrals for HIV testing have increased, particularly during voluntary counselling and testing among soldiers in the joint forces area of operations.

Research of Pharmbiotest in Rubizhne

The briefing also mentioned the claim that in the occupied Luhansk region – Rubizhne settlement – the building of the medical centre Pharmbiotest was also investigated. According to the Ministry of Defense of Russia, clinical trials of drugs with serious side effects: leukaemia, mental disorders, neurological diseases, epilepsy and other dangerous diseases were conducted on the basis of this centre. In August 2022, the Russian Defense Ministry published disinformation about Pharmbiotest’s activities. The Russian military also discovered “secret documents” that “confirmed” the testing of “unregistered drugs” on Donbas residents. These documents were allegedly found in the Pharmbiotest laboratory: two orders for clinical trials, two annexes to the order with detailed information about the tests and a list of people participating in the tests. In fact, the published materials contained information about routine drug tests that are carried out in almost any country in the world and are not classified. The studies passed all stages of verification under the supervision of the State Expert Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Detailed information on all the studies in Ukraine is available on the official website of Ukraine – “Information about clinical studies in Ukraine“. This claim has been verified by Myth Detector in the past as well. For more information, see:

Yet Another Disinformation by the Russian Ministry of Defence about the Dangerous Experiments Carried Out in Ukraine (Available in Georgian)

The documents published by the Ministry of Defense of Russia do not confirm that any kind of dangerous experiments was conducted on the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Disinformation around this claim was disseminated in the past as well. See:

• Yet Another Disinformation of Kremlin about the Conduct of Dangerous Experiments on Servicemen in Ukrainian Labs
• ХАРЬКОВСКАЯ ПСИХИАТРИЧЕСКАЯ БОЛЬНИЦА НИКАК НЕ СВЯЗАНА С БИОЛОГИЧЕСКИМ ОРУЖИЕМ ИЛИ ОПАСНЫМИ ОПЫТАМИ

The Epidemic of the Rift Valley Fever

The third file – “Rift Valley Fever Epidemic” – features the cover and an excerpt of the book – CRC Handbook Series in Zoonoses.

The handbook can be purchased is sold on eBay for 50 USD.

Actors and Companies Involved in US Biological Projects

Karen Saylors and Labyrinth Global Health

In addition to the documents, at the briefing, the Russian Ministry of Defense released the names of specific individuals who were allegedly important figures in the creation of biological weapons, although they were not seen publicly. The list includes Karen Saylors, CEO of Labyrinth Global Health and former director of Metabiota programs in Central Africa. The Kremlin has linked Labyrinth Global Health’s activities with biological programs for military purposes in the past as well. The evidence was based on the letter, which, according to the Ministry’s explanation, was written by the head of the Sanitary-epidemiological Division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Sergei Morgun, to the director of “Labyrinth Ukraine” Karen Saylors. The letter talked about the USAID program, which is related to the renewal of the health care system and its sustainability, as well as the partnership with “Labyrinth Ukraine” and the vaccination of the military. The Ministry of Defense of Russia connected the military-biological activities with the partnership of Ukraine and the US Department of Defense.

Labyrinth Global Health works to support various initiatives in the field of healthcare in Ukraine. The organization’s office in Ukraine is located in Kyiv and supports various programs not only in Ukraine but also in Eastern Europe.

Collin Johnson and UP – 8 

The second person named by the Russian Ministry of Defense is Colin Johnson, a researcher at the University of Tennessee, the curator of the UP-8 project, which was supposed to study the range of the causative agent of Crimean-Congo fever and hantaviruses in Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Defense, Johnson led the process of taking biological samples from the Ukrainian military and oversaw the cooperation of the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine with the US.

Project UP-8 has nothing to do with the spread of the virus. In fact, it was intended to help the Ukrainian government monitor Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, tick-borne infections, and rodent-borne hantavirus. In the past, the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency has also issued a clarification statement on this matter. According to the agency, the UP-8 project was carried out in compliance with all relevant Ukrainian and American health and safety regulations and did not pose a threat to human life at any stage.

Lewis Von Thaer and Battelle

The third person named by the Ministry of Defense of Russia is Lewis Von Thaer – the president and CEO of the company Battelle. It should be noted that the Kremlin has previously spread information about the Battelle’s connection with the creation of biological weapons. In the past, it was reported that Zelenskyy signed an order to destroy all data of employees of Ukrainian enterprises that cooperated with Metabiota, the US military biological laboratories and the Battelle Memorial Institute. 

According to EUvsDisinfo, the published documents were forged.

The US Cooperates with Ukrainian Laboratories since 2005

The US Department of Defence has been cooperating with the Government of Ukraine since 2005 to improve the capacity of laboratories working in the field of public health. However, the mentioned program does not involve military biological projects and experiments on the military. Within the framework of the agreement implemented in 2005, the Ukrainian laboratories in different regions of Ukraine were technically updated and brought into compliance with modern standards. 

Disinformation related to biological laboratories and the alleged “evidence” published by the Russian ministry of Defence has been verified by “Myth Detector” in the past as well. For more information, see our articles:

• Are there Pentagon-Controlled Biological Laboratories in Ukraine?
• Yet Another Disinformation of the Kremlin about the Conduct of Dangerous Experiments on Servicemen in Ukrainian Labs
• 4 Disinformation of the Kremlin around Biological Laboratories in Ukraine
• Zakharova’s Disinformation about Germany’s Biosafety Program – What Research is Being Conducted in Ukraine?
• ДОКУМЕНТЫ ОПУБЛИКОВАННЫЕ МИНИСТЕРСТВОМ ОБОРОНЫ РФ НЕ ПОДТВЕРЖДАЮТ НАЛИЧИЕ ОПАСНЫХ ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТОВ НАД КОМАРАМИ В УКРАИНСКИХ ЛАБОРАТОРИЯХ
• ДЕЗИНФОРМАЦИЯ «ПЕРВОГО КАНАЛА», ЧТО ЯКОБЫ США ПЛАНИРОВАЛИ ЗАВЕЗТИ В УКРАИНУ ВИРУС ЭБОЛЫ

The article has been written in the framework of Facebook’s fact-checking program. You can read more about the restrictions that Facebook may impose based on this article via this link. You can find information about appealing or editing our assessment via this link.

Read detailed instructions for editing the article.
Read detailed appeal instructions.