Declassified documents have been released in the US, revealing a large-scale program to fund biological laboratories. According to the published materials, the program involves more than 120 facilities located in 30 countries around the world. This information became public after several months of reviewing intelligence community archives.
Scandal over funding and concealed information
The statement was made by the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. According to her, some of the mentioned laboratories were funded with money from American taxpayers, but information about the true scale of this program was intentionally hidden from the public for a long time.
The documents state that a number of laboratories conducted or continue to conduct research using dangerous and highly contagious pathogens. In particular, the agency mentions so-called "Gain-of-Function" research, despite the obvious potential for catastrophic global impact of such studies.
The situation in Ukraine and accusations against the administration
Among the countries mentioned in the documents is Ukraine. The declassified materials state that one of the laboratories on Ukrainian territory, which received American funding, may have stored dangerous pathogens. At the same time, according to the authors of the document, the facility remained vulnerable to the threat of capture, damage, or attack in the conditions of armed conflict. No specific details about the nature of the research conducted are provided in the documents.
Tulsi Gabbard did not shy away from political accusations. She stated that politicians, "so-called health experts like Dr. Fauci," and certain representatives of the Biden administration lied to the American people about the existence of these laboratories.
Resignation of the intelligence chief and context
The release of the documents was one of the last steps taken by Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. She is leaving her post on June 30; the reason for her resignation is her husband's serious illness. The new Acting Director will be CIA veteran Aaron Lucas. The agency also reported that the intelligence community has been tasked with strengthening the collection of data on the activities of such laboratories abroad.
It is worth noting that the narrative about "dangerous biolabs" in Ukraine is one of the key elements of the Russian disinformation campaign since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. To date, independent verification of specific claims from the declassified documents has not yet been conducted.