Falsification of documents, fabrications, distortion are typical methods of Russian propaganda and disinformation. On the example of the story of the “secret biolaboratoriums of NATO”.
Talking about “secret biological laboratories,” propagandists resort to primitive, but effective tools of manipulation. Almost all of them are designed for a quick emotional reaction, the appearance of the “reality” of evidence, and most importantly – the lack of an adequate level of training, time, and, in the end, the desire to understand the varieties of noodles, which is carefully hung on the ears of an official from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Manipulation 1. A large number of laboratories with “crazy” funding
The slides in the video with reports of the Russian military and in texts posted in the Russian media show maps with “the infrastructure of US-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine” and provide huge funding figures – “more than $200 million.”
First, what objects are we talking about? The slides and texts mention the Kyiv Research Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases named after L. V. Gromashevsky, the Institute of Veterinary Medicine, the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (Kyiv), the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology named after I. Gromashevsky. AND. Mechnikov (Kharkiv), Ukrainian Research Institute of Anti-Submarine I. AND. Mechnikov (Odessa), Lviv Research Institute of Epidemiology and Hygiene, etc. Some of them were created in the 80s, and some, like the Odessa institute, date back to 1886, when Odessa scientists Mechnikov and Gamaleya became famous in the fight against epidemics of cholera, plague, typhus and smallpox.
These and other structures mentioned are a network of research institutes dedicated to the study of various diseases. For propagandists, “the study of diseases” obviously means the development of suitable biological weapons. Despite the fact that in Russia itself there are many times more such institutions with the same functions – in the structure of minorons of health and Rospotrebnadzor.
Secondly, what is the figure of 200 million dollars (5.4 billion UAH at the pre-war rate)? According to the budget law for 2021, UAH 2.6 billion was allocated for the Public Health and Epidemic Control Measures program, within the framework of which laboratory equipment is purchased – for the entire country. Apparently, the propagandists meant mythical “grants” from NATO, and not the funds of taxpayers of Ukraine.
The map shows at least 31 objects. Even if we assume that the funds were “distributed” evenly, it will be no more than $6.5 million for each “secret laboratory.” Taking into account the bureaucracy, a maximum of half would have to reach the “addressee,” that is, scientists. I must disappoint the propagandists: for such money it is hardly possible not to develop biological weapons, but also to easily at least more or less decently decorate the middle hand of the laboratory.
Most of the listed institutions are in deplorable condition. For example, in April 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Odessa Anti-Submarine Institute was visited by the mayor of Odessa, who promised to help with funds from the city budget at least for the ventilation system.
Manipulation 2. “Top secret” research programs
The next item on the “pasta menu” is “top secret programs,” which are engaged in “secret laboratories.” Among such “programs,” in particular, the Integrated Infectious Disease Monitoring System (EIDSS). The program is so secret that the seventh version of its code is completely freely and openly posted on GitHub – a site for open code exchange. The system is so secret and dangerous that the Russian company Epilogics even implemented an epidrositation monitoring system on its basis in a number of Russian regions in 2016-2020. It seems that someone missed the “NATO laboratory” just in the Moscow region.
The second “scary secret program” is the “Pathogen Access Control System” (PACS). It is interesting here that the propagandists twisted the meaning of the abbreviation. Physical Access Control System literally translates as “access control and control system” regardless of the subject area of what is controlled. That is, our caring neighbors simply invented this second program as a new direction of “US activities within the framework of military-biological research on the territory of Ukraine.”
Both programs, according to propagandists, were developed “by order” by the organization DTRA (Defense Threat Reduction Agency), which allegedly directs the work on the development of biological weapons in Ukraine. This organization really belongs to the Pentagon and its task is to control and prevent threats of the use of weapons of mass destruction in the world. In total, what in the aggressor country (however, in the troops of almost all countries of the world) are the troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection in Russia itself.
DTRA, in particular, also financed work to destroy nuclear submarines and other carriers of nuclear weapons withdrawn from the Russian Navy, improve the safety of nuclear waste storage facilities in Russia, improve the safety of enterprises and research institutes of the biological complex in Russia.
Manipulation 3. Forged documents
A significant part of the “evidence base” of Russians in matters of “secret laboratories” relies on “documents” that were “at the disposal” of propagandists.
Therefore, according to the stated, “The analyzed documents confirm that the Ministry of Health of Ukraine set the task from February 24 to completely destroy the bioagents contained in the laboratories. At the same time, the analysis of the instructions to laboratory officials indicates that the order of liquidation of collections is aimed at their permanent destruction. Obviously, everything necessary to continue the implementation of the military-biological program has already been removed from the territory of Ukraine. “
Let’s leave on the conscience of propagandists the ineptitude of vocabulary such as “elimination of bioagents is aimed at irreversible destruction” – and what else can be the goal of elimination? Also, we will leave out the impossible to prove the thesis about the alleged export of some kind of bio-equipment there.
Let’s pay attention to the “documents.” As “evidence” we are presented with allegedly a document of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine of February 24, 2022, which “sets the task” on the emergency destruction of biological pathogenic materials in a wide list of laboratories in Ukraine. What’s wrong with him?
Despite the fact that the document contains a barcode and a QR code of the minister’s digital signature (which allegedly proves its authenticity), the form by which this “piece of paper” is compiled gives out a falsifier “with drains.”
Firstly, the document that “sets the task” should be called somehow. What do the Russians show us? Letter? Telegram? Statement? The nearest suitable period for such a document should be an order. And it always contains the appropriate name.
Secondly, any order contains a short or long preamble, followed by the word “prescribe” and the enumeration of what, in fact, must be done by the performer. And in no case will a document addressed “top to bottom” – that is, from the boss to subordinates – contain “requests.” Especially in such an important case as the destruction of evidence of the existence of secret biolaboratoriums.
Finally, home “Appendix: for 2 arcs in 1 approx.” According to the established rule in Ukraine, references to applications are made directly in the text (for example, “according to Appendix 1…”). And the list of applications, and even more so the number of instances (for an email, eh) in the order, no one indicates.
At the same time, the text contains mandatory features of documents that move “from the bottom up,” so-called petitions (less often appeals) – from lower organizations to the ministry. And here just appropriate requests, as well as a list of applications. That is, it is obvious that someone familiar with the “grassroots” part of the documentation was engaged in falsification, but is not familiar with search engines on the Internet in order to “spy” on real “orders.”
By the way, according to the procedure, similar documents on the destruction of dangerous bioagents were sent to the places, most certainly – but in the form of instructions on the elimination of all laboratory pathogens in wartime emergencies.
But even in this rigged form, the order does not confirm the reproaches of Russian propagandists.
So, according to the authors of this fake, “secret laboratories” operate under the control of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. And what do we see in the “document”? Only one of the large institutes (Odessa Anti-Submarine) is mentioned here, and the remaining addressees are regional centers for disease control and prevention and laboratory centers located in exactly each region + centers on modes of transport. The same, by the way, as in the regions of Russia.
The execution of this “order” is confirmed by the “Acts of Destruction.” But, interestingly, according to propagandists, the destruction of bioagents by an “act” is confirmed by the Lviv Institute, which simply did not exist in the “order.” And the act from Kharkov explicitly refers to the destruction of museum crops, which clearly does not entail the remains of the work of an advanced laboratory for the creation of bacteriological weapons.
As for the acts themselves, they could be quite genuine, sent in response to this – but, most likely, to some other letter from the box of the ministry, which temporarily fell under the control of attackers. Of course, Russian propagandists do not agree that the biological pathogenic agents listed in the acts are stored in any regional laboratory not only in Ukraine, but also in any region of the countries of the former USSR, including Russia, just for the purpose mentioned in the submitted “documents” – in order to ensure the quality system of laboratory tests.
Finally, we should also say about the shortcomings on the part of the propaganda machine of the enemy. So, of the two documents that the Russians managed to present, one was sent not just by the regional laboratory, but by its district branch – the Karlovy Vary branch of the Poltava Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health.
It is surprising how woe dreamers, referring to this document, have not yet told that we have a secret NATO laboratory working in each district center and all of them not 30 and not 50, but more than 500 – in terms of the number of districts, regional laboratories and industry institutes.