Death in Russian lab raises questions over plague pathogen bioweapon research
The US accuse Russia and other states of developing banned biological weapons. After an incident at the plague lab in Irkutsk, Euronews interviewed bioweapons expert Mirko Himmel.
The death of a laboratory technician in Russia has sparked concerns over bioweapon research, particularly regarding the plague pathogen. The Institute for Plague Research in Irkutsk, a repository for highly virulent pathogens, has been linked to Soviet biological weapons programs. Experts, such as Dr Mirko Himmel from the University of Hamburg, differentiate between defensive research, permitted under international law, and prohibited offensive research.
Defensive research may involve the plague pathogen, but offensive research into biological weapons remains unverified due to the lack of a verification mechanism in the 1975 Biological Weapons Convention. Suspicion of offensive research has been directed towards China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. If such programs existed, victims might contract pneumonic plague by inhaling aerosolized pathogens.
The secrecy surrounding these potential programs makes verification difficult, leaving concerns about the extent of biological weapons research by states.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
