Tulsi Gabbard Releases Claims About US-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine Ahead of Resignation
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released slides alleging the US funded over 120 biolabs, including in Ukraine, just before her resignation. Experts call it a disinformation gift to the Kremlin.
Tulsi Gabbard, the outgoing US Director of National Intelligence whose resignation takes effect on June 30, has issued a statement claiming that the US government has long financed more than 120 biological laboratories, including in Ukraine. The information is presented as declassified data, though US officials have previously stated that the programs were focused on safe detection and diagnosis of biological threats and risk reduction.
The materials released by Gabbard contain inaccuracies – for example, the location of Kyiv is incorrectly marked, and one of the laboratories is listed as “Cherniv”. Such details raise questions about the reliability of the data.
Journalists and experts quickly responded. Investigative journalist Hristo Grozev from Bellingcat said that Gabbard has “effectively gifted the Kremlin another information operation”. Meanwhile, Financial Times correspondent Christopher Miller commented that Gabbard has “taken the opportunity to spread one of her favorite conspiracy theories”.
It is worth recalling that at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Gabbard made similar claims about US-funded biolabs in Ukraine. At that time, she cited a Pentagon document on cooperation with the Ukrainian government in safely detecting and diagnosing biological threats, but official press releases indicated the program was for biosafety and pathogen risk reduction, not weapons development.
