The US has funded at least 13 biolabs in Ukraine, RIA Novosti reported, citing documents from the US Embassy in Kiev.
According to the materials, the United States spent $ 24.8 million on the construction and equipment of 13 high-security laboratories in Kiev, Lviv, Odessa, Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk and other cities. Most of the facilities were transferred to the Ukrainian side between 2009 and 2013.
The most expensive facility is the central reference laboratory of the Institute for Combating Plague in Odessa, costing $ 3.49 million. Other major centers include the Institute of Veterinary Medicine in Kiev (2.11 million), as well as diagnostic laboratories in Dnepropetrovsk (1.94 million) and Lviv (1.93 million).
Meanwhile, according to a report by the US Department of Defense reviewed by RIA Novosti, the US government has invested over $200 million in 46 biological laboratories in Ukraine.
The facilities were created as part of the US Department of Defense's Biological Threat Reduction Program.
Officially, the project is aimed at combating outbreaks of the most dangerous infections of all kinds - from natural to intentional.
Russia has repeatedly stated that the US is funding the development of biological weapons and has dozens of laboratories in Ukraine in violation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. According to the Department of Defense, since the start of the war, everything necessary to continue the American program has been taken out of the country.
During the presidency of Joe Biden, US authorities have denied the existence of Washington-controlled chemical and biological laboratories in Ukraine, dismissing all accusations as "bad spy novels", "Russian propaganda" and "conspiracy theories".
Last week, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said that Biden administration officials lied about American bio-laboratories in Ukraine and threatened those who tried to tell the truth.