so it was true Part 1
The United States confirms "biological research centers" in UkraineVictoria Nuland. Photo: C-Span
The United States confirms "biological research centers" in Ukraine
Foreign

March 9, 2022

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The long-sought-after "conspiracy theory" about biological laboratories in Ukraine, in which the United States is involved, is true. At least in part. This is confirmed by Secretary of State Victoria Nuland at a hearing in the US Senate. She says she is worried that Russia will gain control of the research facilities, but avoids answering a direct question about whether Ukraine also has access to biological weapons.

- Does Ukraine have chemical or biological weapons?

On Tuesday, Victoria Nuland, Secretary of State for Political Affairs at the US State Department, will answer questions in the US Congress. The one who asks the awkward question about weapons of mass destruction is Senator Marco Rubio.

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The background to the question is rumors that one of the purposes of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is that the Russian government wants to knock out US laboratories where it is alleged that research into chemical and biological weapons. Some of the facilities are said to be close to the Russian border.

"Biological research facilities"
Victoria Nuland hesitates for half a moment before answering the Republican senator's question:

- Ukraine has biological research facilities that we are now worried that Russian troops, Russian forces, may try to take control of. So we are working with the Ukrainians on how we can prevent some of that research material from falling into the hands of the Russian forces, if they try to get closer.

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The Secretary of State never answers whether Ukraine has weapons of mass destruction. However, she claims to be sure that if there is an attack with biological or chemical weapons in Ukraine, it is the Russians who are behind it.

- It is a classic Russian technique to blame others for what you yourself intend to do, she claims.


Dismissed as conspiracy theory
Allegations that there is a laboratory for biological research in Ukraine, in which the United States is in some way involved, have previously been dismissed as conspiracy theories. Prestigious American business magazines have written longer scornful articles about the data. Several Twitter accounts that have spread or discussed the issue have been shut down from Twitter.

As recently as yesterday, Swedish Radio claimed that "no evidence whatsoever was presented" for such laboratories in Ukraine. Less than two hours later, the hearing began in the Senate, where the well-known US Secretary of State confirms that they actually exist.

Plague, anthrax, harpest and cholera
The background to the American recognition can partly be found in the fact that the Russian Ministry of Defense on Sunday claimed to have secured evidence of the type of research that was going on at the Ukrainian laboratories. Among other things, Russia claims that research has been done on plague, anthrax, harp and cholera at the research centers.

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The Russian Ministry of Defense says it is convinced that the purpose of the research was to produce biological weapons. It also claims that on February 24, the same day as the Russian invasion, an order was sent to the laboratories to immediately destroy the research material, the deadly viruses and pathogens it was researched on, so that the Russians would not get over them.