US DNI Tulsi Gabbard launches probe of over 120 US‑funded overseas biolabs, many in Ukraine

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced an Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) investigation into more than 120 biological laboratories abroad that have received U.S. taxpayer funding for decades. The labs are spread across more than 30 countries, with over 40 located in Ukraine—a concern the agency says could be jeopardised by the ongoing Russian war.

Gabbard told The New York Post that the review will "identify where these labs are, what pathogens they contain and what ‘research’ is being conducted" to end dangerous gain‑of‑function experiments that could threaten U.S. and global health. The probe follows a Trump‑era executive order banning federal funding for gain‑of‑function work and revives claims previously dismissed by the Biden administration as Russian or Chinese propaganda.

Funding for many of the facilities came from the Pentagon’s Cooperative Threat Reduction program, originally created after the Cold War to dismantle weapons of mass destruction. U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have criticised prior administrations for concealing the scale of the program. The investigation aims to increase oversight, assess biosecurity risks, and determine whether any research poses a direct threat to public safety.