A few months after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, satellite images captured unusual activity at a closed military research centre nestled in birch forests northeast of Moscow, The Washington Post reports.
The site, called Sergiev Posad-6, has not attracted attention for decades, but during the Cold War it was a major biological weapons research centre with a history of experimenting with viruses that cause smallpox, fevers, and more.
Satellite imagery over the past two years, compiled by Google Earth and commercial imaging companies MAXAR and Planet Labs, shows construction vehicles reconstructing the old Soviet-era laboratory and starting construction on 10 new buildings totalling more than 250,000 square feet, several of which bear the hallmarks of biological laboratories designed to work with extremely dangerous pathogens.
The newspaper notes that there is no evidence of such weapons being used in the war in Ukraine, but the construction of the new labs in Sergiev Posad-6 is being closely watched by US intelligence agencies and bioweapons experts amid concerns about Moscow's intentions.
The images showed numerous signatures that combine to indicate a high-containment facility: dozens of rooftop air handling units, a layout consistent with separated laboratories, underground infrastructure, enhanced security measures, and what appears to be a power plant.
In recent weeks, Russian officials have publicly confirmed that scientists will use the labs to study deadly germs such as the Ebola virus to bolster the country's defences against bioterrorism as well as future pandemics.
Russia's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
U.S. officials and arms control experts, noting the secrecy surrounding the military facility, say they are concerned about how Russia intends to use the new labs.