Key facts
- Tulsi Gabbard, as U.S. Director of National Intelligence, declassified documents regarding U.S.-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine.
- The declassified information echoes long-standing Russian propaganda narratives about U.S. biological weapons research in Ukraine.
- The U.S. government has publicly acknowledged funding programs in Ukraine for decades to secure dangerous pathogens and prevent proliferation.
- Critics, including activist Laura Loomer, have suggested the released materials resemble Russian propaganda and include an AI-generated map.
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has denied the allegations, stating cooperation is focused on public health and biosafety.
Outgoing U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's declassification of intelligence alleging U.S. funding for biological laboratories in Ukraine has been amplified by Russian propaganda networks, according to the Kyiv Independent. The claims themselves are not new, having been pushed by Russian propaganda outlets for years, and Gabbard herself promoted similar allegations prior to joining the Trump administration.
Russian officials first claimed in 2022 that the U.S. was funding biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine as a justification for its war. However, the existence of U.S.-funded laboratories in Ukraine has been publicly known for decades, operating as part of programs to secure dangerous pathogens and prevent proliferation, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The U.S. State Department had publicly explained the program as early as April 2020, detailing cooperation with Ukrainian authorities to secure pathogens and toxins for peaceful research and vaccine development.
Russia transformed these publicly known centers into a conspiracy theory, claiming a network of over 30 laboratories was conducting secret research into deadly pathogens under U.S. supervision. President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected these allegations in March 2022. Prominent U.S. figures like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon also amplified these claims. Gabbard, then a former congresswoman, echoed parts of the narrative, stating there were 25 to 30 U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine conducting research on dangerous pathogens, though she later argued she was concerned about security rather than accusing wrongdoing. Her comments drew bipartisan criticism for mirroring Russian propaganda.
Gabbard's office recently released documents claiming to demonstrate the U.S. government's "longstanding" funding of over 120 biological laboratories in more than 30 countries, including some in Ukraine that may have housed dangerous pathogens and could be at risk due to the ongoing war. Gabbard stated that entities within the Biden administration's national security team lied about the existence of these labs. However, the U.S. government has never denied their existence, and the facilities operate as part of international disease monitoring and biosafety efforts.
Conservative activist Laura Loomer reviewed the materials and stated that Gabbard was "directly peddling Russian government propaganda," noting that graphics in the release resembled materials from Russian intelligence services and included an AI-generated map with inaccuracies. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry also rejected the allegations as baseless, emphasizing that cooperation focuses on strengthening public health systems and biosafety. Whether intentional or not, the release has become useful material for Moscow's information operations.