For months, Russia has been openly expressing its concerns about the biological activities of the United States of America in the territories of other countries, particularly Ukraine, claiming that these activities pose a threat to the security of Russia and other countries. However, the World Community has failed to take Russia‘s criticism seriously.
Biological warfare, also known as bacterial war, is a longstanding conflict between nature and humanity, resulting in the spread of diseases and viruses. In this type of warfare, biological agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and their derivatives are employed for malicious purposes, including the killing or disabling of humans, animals, or plants.
Since ancient times, the use of biological weapons has been documented. In 1925, the Geneva Protocol was enacted to prohibit their use, yet research continued in the years that followed. Consequently, in 1972, the world powers created a convention to forbid the manufacture, refinement, and distribution of biological weapons and promised not to use them.
The United States of America is also a member of this commission; however, Russian officials have reported that, despite having signed the convention, the United States has violated its terms and continues to conduct biological tests. In a report, the Russian Duma Commission documented the physical activities of the United States and declared American biological weapons to be the greatest threat to humanity.
This report states that the United States has established biological laboratories in Georgia, countries in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, Ukraine, and Africa, where they are testing dangerous biological weapons. Furthermore, the Pentagon and contractors affiliated with the US military are providing direct support to the United States in this process, having allocated more than two billion dollars. The report argues that Washington is creating biological weapons based on the human genome, which can cause severe harm to humans, animals, and even agricultural products, and inflict irreparable economic damage on the enemy.
The Russian Parliamentary Commission on Investigation has asserted that the development of these weapons poses a danger to international biological safety, and the program has become more expansive rather than restricted. This report further states that the new weapons have unidentified pathogenic agents with high fatality rates. Additionally, due to their similarity with common illnesses, it will be difficult to identify them.
Igor Krykov, the Commander of the Russian Armed Forces‘ Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, has announced an investigation into the 240 pathogenic agents discovered in four Ukrainian laboratories, including cholera and anthrax.
In October 2022, Russia requested the United Nations Security Council to set up a commission to investigate the country‘s claims and ascertain their veracity through comprehensive and impartial investigations. However, no response was received and the United States did not provide a clear answer regarding its biological activities, particularly in Ukraine. The lack of action from the Security Council on such a sensitive issue and the silence of the United States is deeply concerning. The war in Ukraine has pitted Russia and the United States against each other, with many countries taking sides. In the current global crisis, if Russia‘s claims are true, no country in the world would remain unaffected by the consequences of such weapons. According to the evidence Russia has presented to the UN Security Council, most tested biological agents are far more dangerous and resilient than many weapons used in the past.
In 2019, the Covid–19 virus became an epidemic, leading to a great social and economic crisis. Similarly, biological weapons and biological pests could cause a much more dangerous crisis. With the knowledge of the destructive effects of biological weapons, it is fundamentally wrong to have macro–biological research programs and invest in the creation of such weapons. As seen in past wars, the use of such weapons has caused many casualties and dangerous diseases, and with current developments, the risk of outbreaks has also increased significantly.
This issue is not only pertinent to Russia and its neighboring countries, but it is a warning to the entire world. Following the release of the Russian report, Iran and China have also responded, calling for a satisfactory explanation from the United States. Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated that the US should explain its military biological activity to other countries and meet its international obligations. Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, also noted Russia’s biological activities in Ukraine and some other countries as being in violation of international obligations, implying that this issue should be investigated by the international community.
These reactions demonstrate the gravity of the situation. In this era, when all nations are devoted to international standards to avert war and safeguard the security and inviolability of people, executing such biological operations is an irreparable hazard.
The international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and their Destruction, now has the responsibility to initiate a thorough investigation of the evidence presented by the investigative commission of the Russian Parliament. To carry out this investigation, an impartial commission to investigate US biological activities is necessary to help elucidate the matter. In addition, the risks posed by biological weapons will be avoided, and the existing tensions will be alleviated.
