Russia's lab expansion: Concerns over biological weapons research
Russia is extensively modernising the Sergiyev Posad-6 laboratory near Moscow, known for its research on biological weapons. According to information provided by the Washington Post and based on satellite image analysis, ten new buildings have been constructed on the facility's grounds, covering a total area of approximately 23,000 square metres.
Journalists from the Washington Post analysed satellite images from Google Earth and commercial imaging firms, which reveal extensive construction work at Sergiyev Posad-6. Photographs from April and May 2023 show machinery working on expanding existing laboratories and constructing an underground tunnel connecting the laboratories to a power plant. The tunnel is spacious enough to allow the safe and controlled movement of vehicles and personnel.
Infrastructure analysis suggests that the new buildings may be used for working with dangerous pathogens. This is indicated by the layout of the facilities, extensive underground infrastructure, enhanced security measures, and the presence of numerous ventilation systems typical of high-security laboratories. There is also a small power plant on site, which further emphasises the specialised nature of the facility.
Although the available data does not allow for a definitive determination of whether Russia plans to conduct offensive research on biological weapons, experts express their concerns. Andrew Weber, a retired Pentagon specialist on Russian biological weapons facilities, emphasises that the expansion of such a secretive laboratory with such a history is troubling.
Sergiyev Posad-6 laboratory in Russia
In an interview with the newspaper "Krasnaya Zvezda" in April 2023, the military head of the laboratory, Sergey Borisovich, called Sergiyev Posad-6 "the foundation of the country's biological defence system." According to him, the facility's purpose is to develop medical measures to protect the military and the population from biological weapons that could be used by enemies of Russia, including foreign states and terrorist organisations.
The Polish Press Agency reminds us that the work on expanding the laboratory began a few months after Russia invaded Ukraine. This occurred during an intense disinformation campaign by the Kremlin, accusing the United States of helping Kyiv to create a secret biological weapons program. In June 2022, Russia filed a formal complaint with the UN, claiming without evidence that Ukraine was preparing to use biological weapons.
The Soviet Union employed similar strategies in the 1970s and 80s, justifying its biological weapons programme with alleged Western actions. This programme was exposed by Soviet defectors, including leading scientists who claimed that the work was driven by the belief that Western countries were secretly producing the same weapons. Officially, the Kremlin denies the existence of such weapons in Russia.
"The Russians have never been transparent about Ministry of Defence facilities," Mallory Stewart, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Arms Control at the U.S. Department of State, told journalists from the "Washington Post." "This raises questions about what they are hiding," she added.
