Investigation Reveals Russia’s Ongoing Viral Research and Activity in Africa

The Washington Post has published a report corroborating the 2022 findings from the RLI, which highlighted Russia’s efforts to develop biological weapons using Cold War-era laboratory facilities. The report asserts that Russia has initiated a refurbishment and expansion of a biological weapons research center located in the Moscow region. Satellite images of the site confirm the construction of new facilities on the grounds of the former Soviet research base, Sergiev Posad-6. This closed military town, near the city of Sergiev Posad in the Moscow region, was originally established to support military unit 44026, known as the 48th Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense.

A study conducted by the publication shows that after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, work began on the center’s territory to restore and expand the premises of the facility.

In the past, the center was used by the USSR Ministry of Defense and was the main research center for biological weapons, viruses and other biological weapons.

According to the publication, 10 buildings with a total area of 23 square kilometers are currently under construction on the site, and the old ones are being reconstructed. Most of the buildings show signs of being used as laboratories due to the large and advanced air conditioning system.

The satellite imagery shows dozens of rooftop air conditioning units, a corresponding layout that matches the distribution of laboratories, as well as underground infrastructure and a separate power plant to continuously power these buildings. It should be noted that laboratories would meet the BSL-4 security level, which allowed operations to study the most dangerous viruses.Despite the development of biolaboratories in Russia, no signs of such weapons being used in Ukraine have been recorded to date.

Analysis Suggests Russian Military Virology Linked to Viral Outbreaks in Africa.

In 2022, our study of public procurement records from Russian research centers, including the 48th Central Institute of the Russian Ministry of Defense, led us to conclude that Russia is actively researching hemorrhagic fever viruses and smallpox. That same year, research conducted by Russian military virologists coincided with a monkeypox outbreak in Africa. In Ghana, a Marburg virus outbreak also occurred—a virus we had previously connected to Russian military virologists’ work in Russian biolabs.

By 2024, our analysts discovered the presence of Russian biolabs within African nations. In response, Russia has since restricted access to defense procurement records, classifying all data related to defense sector contracts. We are convinced that these viral outbreaks in Africa are not coincidental but are linked to the research of Russian military virologists. While it remains challenging to identify the specific viruses under study in Africa, we believe that the primary objective of these Russian biolabs is to collect biological materials and highly virulent virus strains.

In this light, we view Russia’s accusations against the United States—specifically, Pentagon-supported biolab operations in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Georgia—as an attempt to divert attention from Russia’s own biolab activities. The COVID-19 pandemic seemingly solidified the Kremlin’s view of biological weapons as an effective means of economic and geopolitical leverage against the West.