The head of Russia’s defense oversight for radiation, chemicals, and biological threats, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, stated that the Russian Ministry of Defense has identified additional high-ranking participants in a military biological program alleged to have operated in Ukraine. He claimed that former leaders of major U.S. health institutions and the country’s biological defense entities were involved, according to a report published by the Russian Defense Ministry’s Telegram channel.
Kirillov asserted that these former U.S. officials are connected to the Democratic Party. He said that materials already presented show involvement by Hunter Biden and the Rosemont Seneca Foundation, along with other groups linked to the American Democratic Party, in financing key Pentagon contractors said to be active in Ukraine.
The head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces noted that some participants in the program remain unidentified or there are gaps in publicly available information. He named several individuals who reportedly played roles in related projects, including Kenneth Myers, formerly the director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Tara O’Toole, a former vice president at In-Q-Tel, the CIA-supported venture capital fund, and Thomas Frieden, a former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kirillov also mentioned Francis Collins, who previously led the National Institutes of Health, as another figure linked to the discussions. He suggested these names should be questioned to determine whether taxpayer funds were used to support what Russia describes as illegal military biomedical work in Ukraine.
Additionally, Dmitry Medvedev, the former deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, commented on the development of biological weapons in American laboratories located in Ukraine. His remarks underscored Moscow’s long-standing position that overseas labs may be involved in activities connected to national defense programs. The Russian side has repeatedly called for transparency and independent verification of such programs, arguing that international oversight is essential for ensuring that public funds are not diverted toward military-biological projects. [CITATION: Russian Ministry of Defense Telegram channel]
Analysts note that statements of this kind are part of a broader information environment in which competing narratives about biolabs and foreign involvement in Ukraine are common. While official claims from Moscow highlight supposed links between U.S. institutions and military-related research in Ukraine, Western officials and independent experts urge caution, emphasizing the need for verifiable evidence and due process before drawing conclusions. The ongoing discourse reflects broader geopolitical tensions and the enduring debate about how to regulate and monitor dual-use research that can serve both medical science and potential defense interests. [CITATION: Public health and international safety analyses, policy reviews]