RUSSIA, according to the former head of the British Army’s chemical weapons unit, could unleash a bioweapon on Ukraine that is more lethal than Covid from a Ukrainian lab.

Fears are increasing. Vladimir Putin may unleash a deadly plague, as Ukrainian scientists have been ordered to destroy all “high-threat” lab diseases.

Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former commander of the British Army’s chemical weapons unit, told The Sun Online that Russian troops could storm a lab and use it as a base to launch a bioweapon.

He also warned that Putin’s troops’ “indiscriminate” bombing could destabilise one of the labs.

The World Health Organization said the most dangerous pathogens in Ukraine’s labs should be eradicated because Russia’s relentless bombing has increased the risk of “potential spills.”

The invading Russian forces have already demonstrated their recklessness by firing shells at Chernobyl, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, and missiles at a radioactive-waste facility near Kyiv.

As Russian troops advance, biowarfare experts are growing increasingly concerned about the security of Ukraine’s laboratories.

Fears are also growing as Kyiv claims Russian soldiers have been issued gas masks, implying a chemical or biological attack is imminent.
Ukraine is said to have over 4,000 labs, with hundreds of these facilities working with “moderate-risk agents.”

Although Ukraine lacks a level-four lab, which handles the world’s most dangerous pathogens, two laboratories have been cleared to work with high-level pathogens.

These level-three laboratories typically deal with coronaviruses, tuberculosis, yellow fever, SARS, West Nile, and some influenza strains.

The main lab in Ukraine is thought to be the Ukrainian I. I. Mechnikov Anti-Plague Research Institute in Odessa, which is said to work with “extremely dangerous” pathogens.

Another level-three lab is located in Kyiv at the Central Sanitary Epidemiological Station of Ukraine’s Ministry of Health.

According to reports, the US government is “concerned about preventing any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces.”

Even if Ukraine does not have biological weapons, the contents of the country’s various labs could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

“We all need to be aware of Russia’s biosecurity threat,” Colonel de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun Online.

“I believe people are concerned because they realise a virus has the potential to bring the entire world to its knees.”

According to Mr. Bretton-Gordon, Putin could unleash a bioweapon “more lethal than Covid.”

He issued a warning: “If you splice Covid with something like Ebola, you’ve got a huge problem.

“The Russians could use a Ukrainian laboratory to disseminate a bioweapon.

“It would be ideal if they could blame the pathogen’s release on the United States and Ukraine.

“The opportunity to enter a lab would be like gold dust to the Russians.

“They could use it for propaganda in their own disinformation campaign.”

Even if no bioweapons were used, Mr Bretton-Gordon warned that the Russians’ “reckless” bombing could result in a lab accident.

“The Russians’ recklessness and indiscriminate targeting could result in an accident,” he said.

“If a massive bomb detonated in the lab, the pathogens could be released, but they are more likely to be destroyed.”

During a Senate hearing on Monday, Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, expressed concern that Russia might try to seize control of Ukraine’s laboratories.

“Ukraine has biological-research facilities, which we are now concerned Russian forces may seek to control,” she said.

“So we’re working with the Ukrainians to figure out how they can keep any of those research materials out of the hands of Russian forces if they come calling.”

“It is classic Russian technique to blame the other guy for what they intend to do themselves,” she added.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago, Ukraine’s laboratories have been at the centre of a raging information war.

In order to justify its invasion and bombing of civilians, the Kremlin is spewing torrents of misinformation.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova reiterated a long-standing claim that the US maintains a biowarfare lab in Ukraine, which Washington and Kiev both deny.

Documents discovered by Russian forces in Ukraine, according to Zakharova, show a “emergency attempt to erase evidence of military biological programmes” by destroying lab samples.

“Ukraine strictly denies any such allegation,” a Ukrainian presidential spokesperson said.

In addition, the US government strongly denied Zakharova’s accusations, warning that Russia could use them as a pretext to deploy its own chemical or biological weapons.

According to the WHO, all parties should work together to “safely and securely dispose of any pathogens they come across, and to reach out for technical assistance as needed.”

The White House has already warned a desperate Vladimir Putin that biological and chemical weapons could be used against Ukraine.

US intelligence chiefs are concerned that Putin will try to “create a false flag operation” with its devastating weapons in order to blame Kyiv.

“We should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to stage a false flag operation using them,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

“There’s a clear pattern here.”

She added: “Russia has long maintained a biological weapons program in violation of international law.

“This is all an obvious ploy by Russia to try to justify its further premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine.

“Also, Russia has a track record of accusing the West of the very violations that Russia itself is perpetrating.”