Pentagon Has Access to Potential Agents of Biological Weapons: Russian MoD

Last month, Kirillov said that the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research supervised the U-Pi-1 and U-Pi-2 military biological projects, during which an active collection of biomaterials from the population of Ukraine was carried out. The documents obtained by the Russian Defense Ministry confirm the participation of the Reed institute in the study of the antibiotic resistance of microorganisms isolated from the Ukrainian military during the hostilities in Donbas from 2014 to 2020. The institute has a network of foreign branches, Sputnik reported.

"(Branches) around around the world, allow the US military to gain access to epidemically significant variants of pathogens that are potential agents of biological weapons. These include Marburg and Ebola fevers, malaria, and Rift Valley fever," Kirillov told reporters.

The Pentagon is forced to change tactics when organizing dual-purpose work in biology due to the concern of the world community, Kirillov added.

"At the same time, due to the growing concern of the world community, the Pentagon is forced to change its tactics when organizing dual-purpose work," he told reporters.

The unacceptably high risk of accidents in US biological laboratories is one of the reasons for their transfer to the territory of third countries, including Ukraine, he stressed.

"The unacceptably high risk of accidents in US biological laboratories is one of the reasons for their withdrawal from national jurisdiction and transfer to the territory of third countries, including Ukraine, and other states. This explains the worsening of the epidemic situation in their locations, the emergence of diseases and their vectors that are unusual for these regions," Kirillov told reporters.

The incidence of bird flu has increased significantly in Russia due to the migration of infected birds from Ukraine, he stressed.

"As a result of the migration of influenza-infected migratory birds from the territory of Ukraine, the incidence rate in Russia has increased significantly," Kirillov told reporters.

The UK will spend 1.5 billion pounds ($1.92 billion) on dual-use biological research, supporting the US's policy in the area, Igor Kirillov said on Monday.

According to the approved strategic documents in the field of bioproduction and combating biothreats, the United States reserves the right to conduct dual-use research and manage the biological situation in its own interests, the official said, adding that London declared its own interests in the biological field, adopting a national biosecurity strategy on June 12, supporting the US's activity.

"The amount of funding for activities within the framework of the strategy will amount to 1.5 billion pounds annually," Kirillov told reporters.