The Russian Defense Ministry has alleged that the United States smuggled samples of the Ebola virus from Africa to the U.S. during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.
The claims were made by Major General Alexey Rtischev, Deputy Head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces.
According to Rtischev, representatives of the U.S.-based company Metabiota, which was involved in combating the outbreak in Sierra Leone, covertly transferred samples of the Ebola virus to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). The institute specializes in biological defense and medical research.
The general claimed that the involvement of Pentagon employees in the process was deliberately concealed, as revealed by an international panel of experts who investigated the outbreak.
“The main purpose of this activity was the isolation of virulent strains and their subsequent smuggling,” Rtischev said.
He further criticized the U.S. for allegedly undermining the sovereignty of nations that participate in its biological programs, asserting that such activities lead to dependency on American standards and systems.
He accused the U.S. of using these partnerships to degrade local healthcare systems and impose American-made medical equipment and drugs.
This development has sparked renewed interest in the role of international organizations and foreign governments in Sierra Leone’s public health crises, especially during the devastating 2014 Ebola outbreak.
Authorities in Sierra Leone have yet to issue an official response to these claims.