Russia’s Long-Running Disinformation Campaign Targets Armenian Laboratories

Unfounded allegations of “secret American biolabs” developing biological weapons in Armenia have persistently circulated for years, part of a coordinated disinformation campaign with clear political motives, a CivilNet investigation has found.

Every year, seemingly without provocation, Armenia becomes the focus of renewed information attacks centered around these supposed laboratories. These narratives typically originate from Russian state media before being amplified by local actors, sometimes culminating in orchestrated protests outside the facilities in question.

“My first reaction was to push back and fight the lies head-on. But when you start refuting every falsehood, you risk legitimizing it,” said Stepan Atoyan, director of Armenia’s National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the primary target of these allegations.

The disinformation campaign intensified around 2016-2017, coinciding with the modernization of Armenia’s public health laboratories, which received funding from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). According to Ani Grigoryan, editor of CivilNetCheck, the allegations followed a template previously deployed against Georgia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.

“The main claim was that these were U.S. military labs staffed by American soldiers and developing biological weapons against Russia — and even Armenia,” Grigoryan explained.

The Anatomy of the Disinformation Campaign

The campaign consistently revolves around several recurring themes. Chief among them is the false assertion that the laboratories are Pentagon-controlled military facilities. While DTRA did provide approximately $14 million in funding for modernization, the agency’s mission is to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, not create them. The laboratories remain fully owned and operated by Armenia’s Ministry of Health.

Another persistent claim involves the purported development of “ethnic weapons” targeting specific groups, particularly Russians or Slavs. Scientists have repeatedly emphasized that such weapons are scientifically impossible, as genetic markers define haplogroups, not ethnicities. The R1a haplogroup found in many Russians, for example, is also common among Poles, Ukrainians, Czechs, and various Central Asian populations.

Perhaps the most alarming fabrication involves alleged human experimentation. This narrative often recycles debunked stories, such as the false report that 248 people died in Georgia’s Lugar Center—a claim that continues to resurface despite being discredited.

The disinformation spreads through a sophisticated, layered system. It typically begins on obscure websites designed to appear Western but actually promoting pro-Kremlin conspiracy theories. Russian state media outlets like Sputnik, EADaily, and TASS then amplify these claims, often cited by Russian officials. Finally, sympathetic local outlets and commentators in Armenia pick up and further disseminate the narrative.

The Reality of Armenia’s Public Health Laboratories

In stark contrast to the sinister activities alleged by these campaigns, Armenia’s National Center for Disease Control and Prevention performs critical public health functions, including disease surveillance, immunization programs, and laboratory diagnostics.

When infectious diseases are detected, the center’s specialists conduct epidemiological investigations to identify sources, trace contacts, and prevent further transmission. This work gained heightened visibility during the COVID-19 pandemic but represents the center’s ongoing mission.

Far from being a secretive American outpost, the center operates with international transparency and cooperation. While U.S. agencies provided funding and technical support for modernization, Armenian officials emphasize that they also work closely with Russian and Eurasian institutions.

“We cooperate with several institutes under Rospotrebnadzor, conducting joint training and field work,” Atoyan noted, referring to Russia’s federal service for consumer rights protection and human welfare supervision.

In 2018, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that Russian experts had inspected the laboratories and found nothing suspicious. Currently, some regional labs are being upgraded with funding from the Eurasia Partnership Foundation for Development and Stability, further demonstrating the diverse international cooperation supporting Armenia’s public health infrastructure.

Part of a Broader Regional Pattern

Armenia’s experience is not unique. The “American biolabs” narrative represents one of Russian propaganda’s most enduring disinformation tropes, targeting multiple post-Soviet states including Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Ukraine.

The allegations follow remarkably similar patterns across countries, with fantastical claims about “combat mosquitoes,” migratory birds carrying pathogens, or bats spreading coronavirus. Senior Russian officials frequently repeat these narratives despite their transparent falsehoods and factual inconsistencies.

The ultimate goal appears to be undermining trust in these countries’ public health systems and discrediting their cooperation with Western partners—all while distracting from the laboratories’ actual mission: safeguarding against dangerous pathogens and strengthening public health security throughout the region.

As Armenia’s experience demonstrates, such disinformation campaigns can persist for years despite being repeatedly debunked, highlighting the ongoing challenge of combating politically motivated health-related falsehoods in the post-Soviet space.