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Published 10:30 IST, March 9th 2022

Ukrainian biological weapons in direct proximity to Russian territory, warns Russians MFA

The Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement revealed that the Kyiv regime was developing biological weapons that are now in proximity to Russian borders.

Reported by: Vishnu V V
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Image: AP/ UNSPLASH | Image: self
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Amid escalations in the Russia Ukraine war, the Russian Foreign Ministry has now warned against Ukraine’s biological weapons placed near Russian borders. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Tuesday said that the Kyiv regime was found to have been concealing traces of a military biological programme in Ukrainian biological laboratories. She revealed that components of biological weapons being developed in these laboratories were in direct proximity to Russian territory.

The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement on Tuesday to reveal that the Kyiv regime was developing biological weapons that are now in proximity to Russian borders. It further claimed that the biological programme was being run with funding from the United States. Earlier on Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defence had claimed that the government in Kyiv ordered the “emergency destruction” of pathogens including plague and anthrax at laboratories near the Russian border.

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“We confirm that, during the special military operation in Ukraine, the Kiev regime was found to have been concealing traces of a military biological programme implemented with funding from the United States Department of Defence,” Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

She added that the documentation on the urgent eradication of highly hazardous pathogens of plague, anthrax, rabbit-fever, cholera and other lethal diseases was received from employees of Ukrainian bio laboratories. "The documentation is now being thoroughly analysed by specialists of nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops,” she added.

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However, the Russian MFA claimed that the biological weapons were in direct proximity to Russian territory and steps were necessary to control such moves by the US and its allies. “We can conclude that components of biological weapons were being developed in Ukrainian laboratories in direct proximity to Russian territory. The urgent eradication of highly hazardous pathogens on February 24 was ordered to prevent exposing a violation of Article I of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) by Ukraine and the United States,” the statement read. Zakharova claimed that ‘hazardous’ moves like these must be kept under international control.

Russia accuses Ukraine of destroying US-funded bioweapons programme

Earlier on Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that the government in Kyiv ordered the “emergency destruction” of pathogens including plague and anthrax at US-funded laboratories near the Russian border. Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov on Sunday said that Russia’s military found evidence of a US-financed military biological programme being developed in Ukraine. He had accused the Ukrainian government of taking hasty measures to conceal any traces of the military biological programme amid the war. Meanwhile, the US on Tuesday admitted that Ukraine houses “biological research facilities”.

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Image: AP/ UNSPLASH

10:30 IST, March 9th 2022