WASHINGTON, 10 March 2022, (TON): The United States said that it was working with Ukraine to prevent invading Russian forces from seizing biological research material amid concern governments or unscrupulous actors might try to use such items to create bioweapons.

Senior State Department official Victoria Nuland told US lawmakers “Ukraine has biological research facilities, which in fact we are now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces, may be seeking to gain control of.”

He said “so we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach.”

US Senator Marco Rubio noted there were “Russian propaganda” reports claiming the discovery of a plot by Ukrainians to release biological weapons, with coordination from NATO.

Asked by Rubio if a biological or chemical weapon attack were to occur inside Ukraine, whether Russians would be behind it, Nuland asserted “there is no doubt in my mind, senator.”

“And it is a classic Russian technique to blame on the other guy what they re planning to do themselves.”