Washington has denied that it owns or operates any such bio labs in the country, while Kiev insisted that the facilities were engaged only in civilian research. Russia accused the US Pentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency of "financing and conducting military biological research on the territory of Ukraine," based on captured documents. The ministry said research at three labs was to "study the possibility of the spread of particularly dangerous infections through migrating birds." Washington denied the charges and instead accused Russia of operating "active chemical and biological weapons programs," without any evidence.

Russia has called for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss purported US-backed biological weapons programs in Ukraine. Washington has denied that it owns or operates any such biolabs in the country, while Kiev insisted that the facilities were engaged only in civilian research.