Situation Update in Ukraine

by Stephen Lendman

Slow, steady, relentless smashing of Ukraine's Nazified war machine menace continues as planned in day 23 of Russia's special military operation.

At this time, over 90% of illegally occupied Donbass areas were liberated — by Donetsk and Lugansk freedom fighters, with help from Russian forces.

On Thursday, Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman General Igor Konashenkov's progress report explained the following:

Since Moscow's special military operation began on Feb. 24, 182 Ukrainian aircraft and helicopters, 177 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,393 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 134 multiple rocket launchers, 523 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 1,182 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed."

Separately by phone on Friday, Vladimir Putin told Germany's Olaf Scholz that the US-dominated West consistently turns a blind eye to Kiev's aggression and war crimes against four million Donbass residents, adding:

The Zelensky regime is obstructing progress during multiple rounds of conflict resolution talks by raising unacceptable proposals and demands.

On Friday, Sergey Lavrov stressed the the following:

Russia's "goal is to demilitarize Ukraine so that (a) threat does not come from (its) territory."

Moscow also seeks "security guarantees based on the principle of indivisible common security for Ukraine, for Russia, for all European countries."

"We have been proposing this for many years" to no avail, Lavrov stressed.

On what Russian forces discovered about US-run labs in Ukraine to develop and produce bioweapons for cross-border warfare, Lavrov added:

"Ukraine is perhaps (hegemon USA's) largest project that manages" these prohibited activities.

On longstanding US aims for unchallenged global dominance, Lavrov noted what's increasingly clear.

"There are (world community member states that) would never accept a global village under an American sheriff." 

Notably not Russia, "China, India, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico," Iran and numerous others.

"I am sure that these countries do not want" to bow subserviently to what hegemon USA orders.

On longstanding US sanctions war — now elevated to an unparalleled level — Lavrov stressed that they've "always strengthened us."

To date, over 5,000 sanctions were illegally imposed on Russia, its entities and officials.

Moscow never should have harbored the illusion of achieving normalized ties with the US as long as it's free from the scourge of its hegemonic control. 

Now that the illusion is shattered beyond repair, Lavrov admitted:

At this time, "(w)e can only rely on ourselves and those allies who will stay with us."

Separately on Thursday, Russia's  Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops chief Igor Kirillov revealed more details about banned US bioweapons development in Ukraine, saying:

"An analysis of the information received suggests that Ukrainian specialists have not been made aware of the potential risks involved in the transfer of biomaterials…" 

They're "being used and kept in the dark, and have no real idea about the true goals of the ongoing research" by the US on their territory and hazards it poses.

Documents found by Russia show that hegemon USA spent "tens of millions of dollars" on banned research and development in Ukraine.

US-based global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company Black & Veatch ran or was heavily involved in so-called Project UP-8 bioweapons development in Ukraine.

Evidence shows that Washington sought to initiate bioweapons development at Ukrainian locations in 2005.

Various projects have been ongoing in the country at least since 2009 under US control.

According to Kirillov, Russia "continue(s) to receive information about (US) attempts to destroy biomaterials and documentation (at US-controlled) laboratories" in Ukraine. 

"We are aware that during such liquidation activities at the Laboratory of Veterinary Medicine in the settlement of Khlebodarskoye, Ukrainian nationals working at the lab were not even allowed in the building."

Dozens of earlier deaths in Donetsk from drug-resistant TB strains may have been caused by pathogens released from a nearby US-run biolab.

Since banned US bioweapons development began in Ukraine years earlier, a conspiracy of silence followed.

"Secrecy is another reason to stop and think about the goals the Pentagon is pursuing in Ukraine." Kirillov stressed.

On Friday, Sergey Lavrov explained that US research on bioweapons development was too hazardous to conduct domestically.

"(S)o these threatening and dangerous activities" were conducted abroad in nations like Ukraine.

Increasingly they've been ongoing in nations near Russia and China, Lavrov stressed.

He believes that over 300 are operating at this time.

On Friday at Russia's request, a Security Council session will convene to discuss a legally binding resolution to "require obligatory transparency measures by any" nation involved in research that potentially could develop and produce bioweapons, said Lavrov.

US veto power will clearly prevent its adoption.