New Russian virus revives old Ukrainian biolabs conspiracy
Conspiracy theorists claim the U.S. has been investing in Ukrainian biolabs for years.
A new respiratory virus is reportedly spreading through Russia, drawing unevidenced conspiracies from Russian state media and social media users that it is the work of a Ukrainian bioweapon.
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News of the virus, which causes severe respiratory problems but tests negative for COVID-19 and influenza, was first reported on Sunday on the Russian-language Telegram channel SHOT, which has over 1.2 million subscribers.
In a post with nearly a half-million views, a sick woman is shown. The text below her says she told the channel that she suffered from a high fever while coughing up blood.
The Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) confirmed that the cases are common respiratory infections similar to pneumonia.
But Russian authorities releasing details of the virus didn’t stop conspiracy theories from linking it to both the Ukraine and the U.S.
The idea that Ukraine and America operated bioweapon labs in the European country was one of the (long-dismissed) Russian justifications for invading the country in 2022.
The conspiracy spiraled among conservatives into accusations Dr. Anthony Fauci (by way of Hunter Biden) helped spearhead the COVID-19 pandemic by illegally developing bioweapons in the country.
But while authorities in Russia said the virus was natural, Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti accused it of being a biological weapons attack, prompting the finger to be pointed back at Ukraine.
“The US has been more heavily involved in the war between Russia and Ukraine than has been previously admitted. Could a biological weapon have been released in Russia for which the US will be blamed?” asked one person
Many began recirculating previous claims, reposting maps of supposed biolab locations in Ukraine, using the new reports to argue Russia was justified in its invasion.
While coverage coming out of Russia continues to emphasize the mysterious nature and origins of this virus, plenty aren’t buying.
Even r/prepperintel, a subreddit renowned for its heightened concerns and doomsday mentality, wasn’t convinced by the alarmist claims.
“It’s one influenza outbreak. It was traced, lab-confirmed, and local to 1 area. It might seem scary, but your local COVID-19 soup is much worse,” wrote one top comment.
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