Full Breakdown
DNI Gabbard Discloses U.S.-Funded Global Biolab Network
6/13/2026, 2:02:30 AM
Disclosure of U.S.-Funded Global Biolab Network
On June 12 2026, DNI Tulsi Gabbard released declassified evidence that the United States has funded over 120 biological laboratories in more than 30 nations. Ukraine alone hosts over 40 U.S.-supported sites, many deemed vulnerable amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
Historical Background of U.S. Biolab Support
U.S. overseas biolab assistance began under the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, which after the Cold War financed securing Soviet-era facilities in former Soviet states such as Ukraine and Georgia. The Defense and State Departments have overseen disease-research contracts, and the Trump administration later banned gain-of-function funding worldwide.
Principal Facilities and Pathogens
The declassified slides highlight the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine (IECVM) in Kharkiv, described as housing “at least some dangerous pathogens.” Other labs handle anthrax, Ebola, highly pathogenic avian influenza, swine fever and Brucella, with noted biosafety gaps in Brucella work.
Official Statements & Responses
The DNI cautioned that Ukrainian labs could be vulnerable amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Trump administration claimed U.S.-funded biolabs work with dangerous pathogens and argued such research should not be unrestricted, later signing an executive order in May 2025 to halt federal gain-of-function funding. The DNI also directed the intelligence community to intensify collection on overseas biolabs and assess their pathogen inventories.
Criticism and Opposition
Russian officials accuse the United States of using Ukrainian biolabs for covert biological-weapon development, labeling them disinformation tools. The ODNI release also alleged that “powerful people” deliberately concealed the labs’ existence, echoing broader claims of prior-administration misinformation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The declassified documents provide no direct evidence that any listed laboratory engages in offensive weapons work, despite Russian claims. Redactions obscure oversight scope, the full pathogen inventory, and specifics of gain-of-function experiments.
Verbatim Quotes
- "These biolabs include labs in Ukraine, which may be at risk of compromise due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war." — Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- "The Trump administration has said many of the Washington-funded biolabs have conducted research using 'hazardous and highly contagious pathogens,' and that such actions cannot be left 'unrestricted'." — Statement from the Trump administration
- "The ODNI said Friday that evidence of the full existence and funding of these labs had been withheld from the American people intentionally, by 'powerful people' who had claimed they did not exist." — Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- "ODNI will continue to work closely with partners across the government to identify where these labs are, what pathogens they contain to end dangerous Gain-of-Function research that threatens the health and wellbeing of the American people and people around the world." — Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
Future Actions
The DNI has ordered the intelligence community to increase collection on overseas biolabs, evaluate clinical-trial activities, and monitor compliance with the 2025 executive order ending gain-of-function funding.
