NEW YORK: Russia’s accusations implicating Washington in the development of biological weapons in Ukraine are “pure fabrications,” the US ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council after Moscow filed a complaint with the UNSC.

“We all know these claims are pure fabrications brought forth without a shred of evidence,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.

“Still, I must take this opportunity to set the record straight. Ukraine does not have a biological weapons program,” she added.

“The United States does not have a biological weapons programme.”

Russia asks UN to probe ‘military-biological activities’ in Ukraine

Earlier, Russia had filed a complaint with the UN Security Council demanding an international investigation into the United States’ “military-biological activities” in Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry said Thursday.

“The Russian Federation was left with no choice but to file a complaint with the Chairman of the UN Security Council to launch an international investigation” into “the military-biological activities of the United States in Ukraine,” according to the Russian foreign ministry statement.

The ministry said that during “the special military operation [in Ukraine] evidence and material that shed light on the true nature of the US military-biological activities on Ukrainian territory were obtained.”

Russia filed the complaint with a draft resolution to the Security Council, and compiled a 310-page document seen by AFP.

Shortly after the complaint, Ukrai­nian and American representatives to the UN both rejected accusations.

Ukrainian deputy ambassador to the UN Khrystyna Hayovyshyn said her country “has never ever developed, produced or stored — alone or together with someone else — biological or chemical weapons.”

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2022