Moscow. June 16. INTERFAX - The Russian military said that the Pentagon in its official comment did not answer questions about the work of US-controlled biological laboratories in Ukraine.
On June 9, the US Department of Defense announced that it had provided assistance to 46 Ukrainian structures in the field of biology for 20 years, but stressed the non-military nature of the programs.
"The explanations provided by the United States do not contain answers to the questions we have raised. Why were the works commissioned by the Pentagon, and their subject matter did not correspond to the current health problems of Ukraine?" - Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Chemical and biological Protection Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, said at a briefing on Thursday.
"For what purpose did employees of the US military department take part in biological research in Ukraine, and the work was carried out in secrecy with limited access of Ukrainian specialists to information and premises?" Kirillov said.
"Why were strains of pathogenic microorganisms - potential agents of biological weapons and biomaterials of Ukrainian citizens exported from the territory of Ukraine without clearly declared goals? Why do the USA and Ukraine keep silent about the facts of cooperation in the military-biological sphere in international reporting under the BTWC, and the USA has been blocking the development of its verification mechanism since 2001?" - said the head of the troops of the RCBZ of the Russian Federation.
"Why are US officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, so concerned about the possibility of transferring the results of the activities of the US Department of Defense in Ukraine and the materials in biological laboratories under the control of Russian specialists?" Kirillov said.
"The picture presented in the Pentagon statement is just a screen, under the cover of which the United States carries out its activities bypassing international agreements and continues to increase its military-biological potential. At the same time, Ukraine has been assigned the role of a testing ground for testing, collecting biological materials and studying the specifics of the spread of infectious diseases," Kirillov said.
On June 9, the Pentagon website reported: "The United States has been working to strengthen the biological safety and protection of Ukraine, improve control over the health of people and animals, providing support to 46 Ukrainian peaceful laboratories, healthcare facilities, as well as disease diagnosis centers over the past 20 years."
Such programs, according to the Pentagon, are also aimed at "measures to ensure the safety of agriculture." According to the US Department of Defense, these Ukrainian facilities "work like any other public or private healthcare institutions and research laboratories around the world."
In April, Kirillov stated that 30 US-controlled biological laboratories were operating on the territory of Ukraine.