ODNI Releases Records On 120-Plus U.S.-Funded Foreign Biolabs
On Sunday, June 14, 2026, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released declassified records on more than 120 U.S.-funded foreign biological laboratories across more than 30 countries.[1]
The ODNI slides included in the release say more than 40 laboratories in Ukraine received U.S. funding and stored dangerous pathogens such as anthrax, plague, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, MERS and SARS.[1] The documents say U.S. taxpayers spent about $1.7 million to $3.5 million per project on construction and upgrades at Ukrainian labs in Kherson, Odesa and western Ukraine.[1] They identify engineering firm Black & Veatch as a major contractor on those works.[1] A declassified assessment of a Pentagon-funded veterinary lab in Kharkiv says it held hundreds of samples of hazardous pathogens, including Brucella.[1] The assessment warned the facility could be damaged, captured or used in Russian propaganda during the war.[1]
President Trump signed Executive Order 14292 on May 25, 2025, directing an end to federal funding for dangerous gain-of-function research worldwide and calling for greater oversight of overseas pathogen work. Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as Director of National Intelligence on February 12, 2025. After taking office she ordered a months-long review of intelligence files on U.S.-funded biological research programs, including Pentagon Biological Threat Reduction Program agreements with Ukraine dating to 2005. In support of the executive order, Gabbard declassified and prepared the records for public release and issued new collection guidance on foreign laboratories.
The Defense Department invested about $200 million in Ukraine through the Biological Threat Reduction Program from 2005 to 2022, supporting 46 Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites. Gabbard's office and allied outlets framed the release as validating concerns that had been dismissed as misinformation, and her team said more related documents will be published through June 30.
The mainstream summary does not mention the significant financial commitment of the U.S. Defense Department to the Biological Threat Reduction Program, which has requested approximately $210 million to $235 million annually for fiscal years 2023 to 2025. This funding underscores the ongoing U.S. involvement in managing biological threats, a detail that adds context to the narrative of transparency and oversight that Tulsi Gabbard is promoting. Furthermore, while the summary highlights Gabbard's framing of the release as a validation of previously dismissed concerns, it overlooks the broader conversation about institutional trust and accountability in U.S. government and intelligence agencies. Critics argue that the lack of transparency surrounding these programs has contributed to a collapse of trust, which is a critical factor in understanding the public's reaction to the release of these records. This aspect of the discourse is essential for grasping the complexities of the situation and the varied perspectives surrounding U.S. biolabs abroad.[2][3]
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📊 Relevant Data
The US Department of Defense invested approximately $200 million in Ukraine through the Biological Threat Reduction Program since 2005, supporting 46 Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities, and diagnostic sites.
Biological Threat Reduction Program Activities in Ukraine — Defense.gov
The Defense Department's Biological Threat Reduction Program requested $235 million in FY2023, $228 million in FY2024, and $210 million in FY2025.
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Fiscal Year (FY) ... — comptroller.defense.gov
On May 5, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order directing agencies to end federal funding of dangerous gain-of-function research conducted by foreign entities in countries of concern or lacking adequate oversight.
Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research — whitehouse.gov
📌 Key Facts
- On Sunday, June 14, 2026, DNI Tulsi Gabbard released declassified records on more than 120 U.S.-funded foreign biological laboratories in over 30 countries.
- ODNI slides state that more than 40 laboratories in Ukraine received U.S. funding and stored dangerous pathogens, including anthrax, plague, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, MERS and SARS.
- The documents show U.S. taxpayers spent about $1.7 million to $3.5 million per project on construction and upgrades at Ukrainian labs in cities including Kherson, Odesa and western Ukraine, with Black & Veatch identified as a major contractor.
- A declassified assessment of a Pentagon-funded veterinary lab in Kharkiv says it held hundreds of samples of hazardous pathogens, including Brucella, and warns the facility could be damaged, captured or used in Russian propaganda during the war.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time