North Korea claims that United States engaged in biological warfare in Ukraine

On Sunday, North Korea echoed a claim made by Russia that the United States was producing biological weapons in Ukraine, which the UN rejected in March. Pyongyang, a close ally of Moscow, asserted in February that US policy was the “root cause of the Ukraine crisis”, and this month Kyiv severed diplomatic ties with North Korea after Pyongyang formally recognised two self-declared pro-Russian separatist territories in eastern Ukraine.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claimed on Sunday that Washington had “set up many biological labs in tens of countries and regions, including Ukraine, in disregard of the international treaties,” citing actions that had been “detected” by Russia. In March, Moscow accused the United States of supporting biological weapons development research in Ukraine, which Russia invaded nearly five months earlier.

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The allegations that Ukraine had biological weapons production facilities were refuted by Washington and Kyiv, with the United States claiming that Moscow may employ similar strategies if the allegations were true. Additionally stated that the UN “was not aware of any biological weapons programme in Ukraine,” said Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, in March.

(with inputs from agencies)