Russia is once again raising concerns about alleged violations of international agreements regarding chemical and biological weapons by the U.S. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who leads Russia’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection troops, recently claimed that the U.S. is collaborating with Moldova and Romania to develop biological agents targeting specific ethnic groups. This was reported by Russian state media.
In a briefing, Kirillov accused U.S. entities of utilizing samples from Ukraine’s Public Health Center and sending them to Pentagon-affiliated labs. He suggested this process involved a sophisticated network of medical institutions and third-party logistics companies tied to Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who has accused Russia of attempting to orchestrate a coup.
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Kirillov stated, “Washington has a notable interest in acquiring biomaterials from citizens of Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet nations.” However, these allegations are reminiscent of claims made at the outset of Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion regarding supposed biological weapon schemes.
Shortly after the invasion began, Russian officials accused Ukrainian and U.S. scientists of concealing a military-biological initiative involving dangerous diseases. The U.S. dismissed these allegations as “laughable,” suggesting they might be a smokescreen for Russia’s potential use of such weapons.
Earlier, Kirillov had asserted a plot involving sending infected animals to Russia and suggested that researchers had sent blood samples to Australia to analyze “Slavic DNA,” hinting at intentions to create a biological weapon targeting ethnic Russians. These claims garnered attention from Russia’s foreign minister and U.N. ambassador, despite being labelled as “utter nonsense” by the United Nations Security Council.
In April 2023, Kirillov claimed the U.S. had resumed military biological activities in Ukraine, which were denied by both Kyiv and Washington. The rationale behind Kirillov’s renewed allegations remains unclear, but Moscow has continued to voice concerns about U.S. military biological operations near Russian borders.
In addition, Kirillov has pointed out that evidence suggests an increasing U.S. military-biological presence in Africa, cautioning countries against such engagements.