FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov said NATO continues to carry out long-term programs linked to the development of selective-action biological weapons. According to him, these projects cover countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Africa and Latin America.

Speaking at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services of CIS member states, Bortnikov said biological laboratories are also operating in CIS countries. He claimed that field tests and incidents involving pathogen leaks from these facilities are being presented as natural events.

Bortnikov also stated that Russian troops had collected a large amount of evidence of such NATO activity during the special military operation in Ukraine. In his view, the danger posed by biological weapons capable of acting selectively and covertly remains high.

The FSB chief separately pointed to the development of artificial intelligence, saying it increases risks linked to possible bioterrorism.

Bortnikov added that Moscow expects broader cooperation with CIS countries in countering these threats. He stressed that the Commonwealth states still face a serious risk from the possible spread of dangerous infectious diseases with predetermined characteristics, and called on CIS security services to coordinate their efforts more closely.