Russia Presented UNSC With New Evidence of US 'Bio-Activities' in Ukraine, UN Envoy Says

Earlier, UN Deputy Arms Chief Thomas Markram suggested activating the Biological Weapons Convention mechanisms to address Russia's concerns over bio labs in Ukraine.

Russia has presented the UN Security Council with new evidence regarding US activities in Ukrainian biolabs that Moscow obtained over the past two months, Russia's UN Envoy Vasily Nebenzia said on Friday.

"Over the past two months since the previous meeting, a number of new testimonies have appeared. We have distributed all these materials in the UN Security Council," the Russian envoy said.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced concerns regarding what it describes as a network of over 30 biological laboratories in Ukraine that were being financed by the United States.

On Friday, UN Deputy Arms Chief Thomas Markram suggested activating the Biological Weapons Convention mechanisms to address Russia's concerns over bio labs in Ukraine.

"I would encourage any parties with compliance concerning to use the procedures available under the Convention," he told a UN Security Council.

However, he also noted that the UN does not have any mandate or technical possibilities to investigate the allegations of US biological activities in Ukraine.

Russia, in turn, said it will insist on receiving explanations from Washington regarding its military-biological program in Ukraine. The concerns voiced by Moscow were also supported by the Chinese envoy in the UN, with Beijing reckoning that the international community should take the Russian allegations regarding the biolabs in Ukraine seriously.