Disinfo: Ukraine and US violated the Biological Weapons Convention

Summary

Ukraine and the United States violated the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention by developing biological weapons components w in Ukrainian biolaboratories located in close proximity to Russia.

On 24 February, Russia received documentation from employees of Ukrainian biolaboratories on the emergency destruction of especially dangerous pathogens of plague, anthrax, tularemia, cholera and other deadly diseases. These documents confirm that Ukraine was developing biological weapons in the immediate vicinity of Russia.

The US government tried to delete all information about these as soon as possible because it proves that the US founded 11 biological laboratories in Ukraine. Over the past 10 years, the US has set up several biological laboratories in Ukraine to study the DNA of the Slavs in order to create biological weapons against them.

Disproof

Two of the various pro-Kremlin conspiracy narratives aimed at justification of the Russia's invasion of Ukraine, called in Russia "a limited special operation".

The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said that there was no objective information confirming Russia's accusations against Ukraine about alleged attempts to develop nuclear weapons."This issue is very clear to us; we do not have any information that would cast doubt on Ukraine's compliance with nonproliferation obligations," he said at a press conference at the IAEA headquarters on Friday, Interfax reports.

The narrative on the US mass destruction bio weapons to be developped in Ukraine has been spread since 2020. The same false narrative is spread about Georgia. In 2020, the U.S. embassy denied this disinformation in a statement (which is still available and was not edited or deleted, as some of the disinformation media outlets pretend):

"The U.S. Embassy would like to set the record straight regarding disinformation spreading in some circles in Ukraine that mirrors Russian disinformation regarding the strong U.S.-Ukrainian partnership to reduce biological threats. Here in Ukraine, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Biological Threat Reduction Program works with the Ukrainian Government to consolidate and secure pathogens and toxins of security concern in Ukrainian government facilities, while allowing for peaceful research and vaccine development. We also work with our Ukrainian partners to ensure Ukraine can detect and report outbreaks caused by dangerous pathogens before they pose security or stability threats".

The Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP; also known as the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program, CBEP) which the disinformation media suspect to be a cover, is implemented since 199 to help the countries of the former USSR in the destruction of weapons of mass destruction. The Nunn-Lugar program operates in many post-Soviet countries; until 2015, it also operated in Russia. Thus, in 2009, with the financial assistance of this program, a plant for the destruction of chemical weapons was opened in the Kurgan region, reminds The Insider.

Creating a biological or ther mass destruction weapon is subjected to UN´s agencies control. UN has not reported anything similar to the Kremlin's claims. U.N. General Assembly in historic emergency vote denounced Russia over Ukraine invasion.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 274
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 08/03/2022
  • Article language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine
  • Keywords: War in Ukraine
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Disinfo: Ukrainians shoot from residential areas, use children as human shields

Ukrainian nationalists deploy their firing points in houses marked “Do not shoot! Children here!”. This is a tactic often used by terrorists.

Disproof

This is an unsubstantiated allegation accusing the Ukrainian Armed Forces of war crimes.

In reality, it is Russian troops and members of Moscow-backed military formations who are applying this tactic. There is well-documented evidence that they place their positions in residential areas. Russia’s military also targets schools, kindergartens, hospitals, orphanages, churches and other civilian objects. One of the most infamous atrocities Russian troops have committed in Ukraine so far was an airstrike on a maternity and children's hospital in the city of Mariupol on 9 March 2022. Three people including a child were killed and 17 people were wounded, according to official information. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the hospital bombing was “proof of genocide” against Ukrainians.

Disinfo: Russia has not attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

Russia has not attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russian soldiers are cooperating with Ukrainian specialists at the plant.

Disproof

This is part of the disinformation narrative about the Russian invasion of and war in Ukraine. The overall Kremlin narrative claims that Russia only attacks military targets, sparing civilian infrastructure. This claim is focusing on the Russian takeover of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on 4 March.

The claim distorts reality. In fact, there was a military attack as Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and heavy fighting sparked a blaze in a training building at the site. A Russian projectile hit a building within the site of the plant, causing a localized fire, but none of the reactors was nearby and they were unaffected, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi. The fire was extinguished, and officials said the facility was safe.

Disinfo: The coup in Ukraine in 2014 resulted in the loss of sovereignty of Ukraine

The haste of this action, which culminated in the coup at the end of February 2014, can only lead to the conclusion that the grandees of the EU were afraid of suffering a defeat in the presidential elections that were due to take place following year. For what reason should one unleash a witches' sabbath like the Maidan in order to pluck a fruit from the tree that would fall into one's lap a year later anyway? Or was what came out of this overthrow exactly what the EU, especially Germany, and the USA wanted in Ukraine? In any case, the result of the coup was basically the loss of sovereignty.

Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukrainian statehood and Euromaidan protests in 2013-2014.

Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine, as an independent country, has a functioning government and economy, it is a member of many international organisations, such as the United Nations and the Council of Europe, and a party to international agreements. Ukraine has bilateral diplomatic relations with the majority of countries.