Offensive biological weapons research in Russia extends as far back as 1928, and after the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) of 1972 made such programs illegal, the Soviet Union and then Russia expanded their development. Now, more than 2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the trajectory and status of Russian biological R&D remain to be determined; however, the Russian government chose to prioritize investments in the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines. Another important limitation to this study involves the inherent secretive nature of scientific research and development in the Russian Federation. 3 Milton Leitenberg and Raymond A. Zilinskas, The Soviet Biological Weapons Program: A History, with Jens H. Kuhn (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012). 14 Leitenberg, Zilinskas, and Kuhn, The Soviet Biological Weapons Program.

Source: Washington Post January 29, 2023 00:50 UTC