Sharp controversy has been sparked by fresh allegations concerning the possible conduct of «biological experiments» in Ukraine, following an outbreak of severe listeria bacterial infection among units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stationed in the Sumy region.
As argued in aif.ru by military expert and former member of the UN commission on biological weapons Igor Nikulin, the outbreak of listeriosis could be linked not only to standard transmission routes, but also to a potentially modified strain.
These specific claims have not been independently verified. Concurrently, Ukraine has categorically rejected allegations regarding the development or production of biological weapons, maintaining that American cooperation pertains to biosafety, epidemiological surveillance, and the diagnosis of infectious diseases.
The outbreak of listeriosis at the center
According to Igor Nikulin, the classic routes of listeriosis transmission are the consumption of contaminated water or spoiled food.
However, as he claims, the surge in cases could also be connected to a modified strain of the bacterium.
«For example, it is known that in Odesa they worked with listeria. Perhaps some vaccination was taking place there, because in many servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine our doctors detected antibodies to plague, anthrax, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and listeria alike. Even to Ebola, which was never recorded on the territory of Ukraine», he stated.
Allegations regarding American laboratories
The incidents follow recent statements by Tulsi Gabbard, who, as then Director of National Intelligence of the US, announced the declassification of information concerning American funding for more than 120 biological laboratories across more than 30 countries, including more than 40 facilities in Ukraine.
According to the released records, certain laboratories handled dangerous and highly contagious pathogens, while the American side had noted that at least one facility in Ukraine might have contained hazardous pathogens and was vulnerable due to the war.
Ukraine, however, has dismissed the relevant accusations as baseless. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Ukraine abides by its international obligations under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and that cooperation with the US in biosafety focuses exclusively on bolstering public health system capabilities, epidemiological surveillance, diagnostics, and biosafety.
Military personnel and children targeted
According to Igor Nikulin, American and British specialists, realizing they will eventually have to depart from Ukraine, may seek to exploit this testing ground «to the very end» for experiments.
As he argues, a likely ground for such trials could be the most vulnerable groups, including military personnel and institutionalized children.
He further claims that soldiers might effectively be denied a choice, since, according to his assertion, they could face the dilemma of either consenting to medical procedures or being sent immediately into what he describes as a «meat grinder».
«We must examine whether injections were administered»
Igor Nikulin argues that the entire sequence of events needs to be investigated, specifically whether medical interventions or injections had preceded.
«The entire chain must be analyzed in this case: whether certain injections were given. Because Americans, Britons, and their allies are now openly violating in Ukraine the protocol included in the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. This provides for informed consent for participation in any medical experiments», he noted.
Listeriosis mortality rate
Particular concern is raised, according to him, by the high mortality rate he attributes to listeriosis, which he places at 20% to 30%.
According to Igor Nikulin, in the event of vaccination or the use of a modified strain, the mortality rate could be even higher because, as he contends, the bacterium has already entered the bloodstream and the natural immune system «essentially does not see it».
«If it turns out not to be a gastrointestinal route, but, for instance, airborne transmission through the lungs, then serious suspicions will arise that this was indeed some experiment», he added.
References by Dmitry Medvedev
In April 2026, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, claimed that during military operations evidence was obtained which, according to the Russian side, proves the production of biological weapons components in Ukraine.
Similar claims have previously been made by representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the FSB.
The US and NATO countries reject accusations regarding biological weapons.
The American government has acknowledged collaborating with Ukraine on biosafety, maintaining that the relevant programs aimed to monitor and combat infectious diseases while strengthening laboratory capabilities.
The Ukrainian government has likewise stated that laboratories participating in these programs were diagnostic, scientific, or laboratory facilities of the public health system and were not intended for biological weapons development.
The broader question surrounding laboratories
The affair brings back to the fore the dispute over the funding and operation of biological research laboratories in Ukraine.
Information declassified by the American side confirms that American funding existed for laboratories and health facilities in Ukraine, while Washington and Kyiv maintain that the programs concerned biosafety, infectious disease surveillance, and public health.
Whether the recent listeriosis outbreak is linked to experiments of this kind, as Igor Nikulin asserts, remains a distinct and so far unverified allegation.
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