Ukraine has been advised by the World Health Organization to destroy high-threat pathogens in their laboratories, so as to prevent the spread of disease in the population caused by potential spills, according to Reuters.
The risk of pathogens that can cause diseases escaping from the labs have been escalated (should they be damaged) by Russian forces moving into Ukraine and shelling the cities.
Ukraine has health laboratories that were researching the mitigation of dangerous diseases that affects humans and animal, and have received support from the US, EU and WHO.
WHO spoke to Reuters and said that they have worked with the Ukrainian labs for years, promoting security practices to prevent the accidental and/or deliberate release of pathogens.
They said that they strongly recommend the Ukrainian Ministry of Health to destroy the high-threat pathogens to prevent potential spills, in view of the Russian shelling.
Russian alleges biowarfare
Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, alleged that the US is operating a biowarfare lab in Ukraine, which has been denied by Washington and Kyiv many times.
She claimed that Russian forces have “unearthed” documents showing an “emergency attempt to erase evidence of military biological programmes”; despite WHO’s statements not making any references to biowarfare.