The Russian Embassy in Washington has challenged the accuracy of the U.S. Department of Defense’s briefing about civilian laboratories in Ukraine, asserting that the presented data do not reflect reality. This stance was reported by TASS, the Russian news agency.
In a sharply worded response to the June 9 briefing, which highlighted Washington’s claim of aiding 46 laboratories and health facilities in Ukraine over the last two decades, the embassy’s Telegram channel described the material as scraped from official sources but misrepresented as evidence of purely civilian activities. The embassy argued that the information produced by the U.S. Department of Defense does not stand up to scrutiny and dismissed it as false.
The dispatch also criticized the Nunn-Lugar program as viewed from Moscow, arguing that only a limited portion of the funding directed under that program managed to reach the Russian Federation, thereby questioning the broader impact and transparency of such international projects.
Separately, Igor Kirillov, who leads the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces at the Russian Armed Forces, reiterated claims that U.S.-controlled biolaboratories in Ukraine are conducting investigations into pathogens that mosquitoes can transmit, including agents associated with dengue fever. The remarks fed into a broader narrative about U.S. involvement in battlefield biology programs and biolaboratory oversight in the region.
According to Kirillov, a Kiev facility previously handed over to American oversight was employed for field aerobiological studies, a move that he described as part of ongoing cooperation with foreign experts under specific project frameworks. Officials inside the U.S. defense apparatus have responded by noting that their international activities in this field focus on disease surveillance, prevention, and public health protection rather than any dual-use research agenda. They emphasized that engagement with mosquito-borne diseases is driven by a concern for global health security and the prevention of outbreaks that could affect civilian populations as well as military personnel.
The U.S. defense spokesman further stressed that there is a clear interest from international clients in vectors of disease, particularly species capable of transmitting infections. They recalled historical outbreaks, including a major yellow fever epidemic in Africa in 2013, which led to tens of thousands of severe cases and a significant fatality toll. The discussion highlighted how environmental and ecological factors can influence the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever, Zika, and yellow fever, underscoring the global public health stakes involved.
Vladimir Rogov, who has been associated with the military-civilian administration in parts of the Zaporozhye region and who operates within the territory controlled by Ukrainian authorities, has claimed that three biolabs are under strict guard. His account suggests that foreign personnel associated with these facilities may have departed during recent evacuations, amplifying concerns about oversight and the security of sensitive research activities. While these assertions circulate in public discourse, they remain contested by other observers and officials who call for careful verification and corroboration of such statements.