Russia Suggests UNSC Revise Approach to Handling Bioweapon Investigations

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia calls on the UN Security Council to consider revising its approach to probing suspected research of chemical and biological weapons, a senior Russian military official said Saturday.

"We believe it is time that the UN Security Council revise approach to decision-making as far as investigation into chemical and biological incidents is concerned," Igor Kirillov told a news briefing in Moscow.

Kirillov told reporters in Moscow that the Pentagon had been running secret biolabs in Ukraine for years, researching highly dangerous pathogens and exporting biological samples in breach of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

The head of the Russian Armed Forces’ radiological, chemical and biological defense also noted that Moscow had repeatedly appealed to the US and Ukraine at various international venues with a request to clarify why research commissioned by the Pentagon was conducted on the territory of Ukraine, why the subject matter did not correspond with Ukraine's health issues, and what the US was hiding as the work was carried out in conditions of secrecy and limited access of Ukrainian specialists to information and premises.

Screengrab of Russian Defence Ministry briefing showing US-sponsored biolabs on Ukraininan territory.

© Photo : Russian Ministry of Defence

Kirillov said Russia could not trust the Pentagon’s word on the peaceful purposes of its research, especially given the West's previous breach of promise not to expand NATO eastward. Whatever is in these labs, he argued, has made Washington very concerned about research materials falling into the hands of Russian forces. US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland confirmed this during a Senate hearing in March.

Russia will present its findings to the UN Office at Geneva next week.