Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released declassified records detailing US funding of more than 120 biological laboratories across over 30 countries. The release comes years after Gabbard drew criticism for raising concerns about US-funded biolabs in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.

US Involvement in Ukraine’s Laboratory Network

The newly released records include ODNI briefing slides detailing the scope of US involvement in Ukraine’s laboratory network. One document states that more than 40 laboratories in Ukraine received US funding and housed collections of dangerous bacteria and viruses, some dating back to the Soviet era.

The records also show Ukrainian scientists received US-funded training to work with hazardous pathogens and participated in a program focused on handling especially dangerous diseases. The documents list pathogens studied or stored within the laboratory network, including anthrax, tuberculosis, plague, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, MERS, and SARS.

US-Funded Construction and Upgrades

Additional records detail US-funded construction and upgrades at laboratories across Ukraine, including facilities in Kherson, Odesa, and western Ukraine. The documents identify engineering firm Black & Veatch as a major contractor and show US taxpayers spent between roughly $1.7 million and $3.5 million on individual laboratory projects.

Gabbard said the documents demonstrate that the public was not given a full picture of US-backed biological research programs overseas. Critics, however, maintain the facilities were part of long-running public health and threat-reduction efforts designed to secure dangerous pathogens and prevent biological proliferation rather than operate as biological weapons programs.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.