The outgoing Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has declassified information showing the United States funded more than 120 biolabs across over 30 countries, including several in Ukraine now at risk because of the war.
The Friday, June 12, disclosure comes after months of reviewing intelligence community files. Gabbard said previous administrations withheld this information from the public.
She noted that officials in the previous governments had denied the scale of the program and accused critics of spreading foreign disinformation.
According to her report, many of these labs worked with hazardous and highly contagious pathogens.
She noted that some conducted gain-of-function research, which can make viruses more dangerous, and oversight was limited, according to the new findings.
Ukraine Facilities Raise Fresh Security Concerns
Gabbard pointed to Ukraine as a particular concern, at which intelligence officials had already warned that at least one U.S.-funded lab there held dangerous pathogens and could be vulnerable to Russian attack, seizure, or damage amid the current conflict.
On May 25, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14292, which ends U.S. funding for gain-of-function research around the world.
In her statement, Gabbard said the American people had been misled.
“Despite the obvious potential for catastrophic global impact research on dangerous pathogens in biolabs can have, politicians, so-called health professionals like Dr. Fauci, and entities within the Biden administration’s national security team lied to the American people about the existence of U.S.-funded and supported biolabs, and threatened those who attempted to expose the truth,” she said.
“ODNI will continue to work closely with partners across the government to identify where these labs are, what pathogens they contain, and to end dangerous Gain-of-Function research that threatens the health and wellbeing of the American people and people around the world.”
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For years, questions about U.S. support for overseas biolabs drew sharp pushback.
Lawmakers and media outlets frequently dismissed concerns as conspiracy theories. Now, the intelligence community is confirming the existence and funding of a large network.
Gabbard has also directed intelligence agencies to step up collection on these facilities. Teams are collecting fresh details on locations, current activities, and any ongoing clinical trials.
Early findings have raised questions about ethics, costs, and security around some of these public health projects.
The labs in Ukraine raised greater concern due to the ongoing war with Russia. U.S. officials remain deeply concerned about the possibility of pathogens escaping or being stolen by Russian Forces.
Supporters of the program have long argued that such labs help monitor and prevent disease outbreaks.
However, the lack of disclosure and weak oversight remain a great concern among critics, who say they pose unnecessary risks, especially when working with modified pathogens.
The Trump administration has openly indicated it wants this work stopped. The new executive order directs federal agencies to cut off funding and map out every remaining site.
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Ahead of her official departure, Gabbard’s office will lead the effort to track which pathogens are stored where and to ensure that no dangerous research continues with U.S. money.
Gabbard has promised more declassifications on topics previously kept from public view. She described the biolabs program as one example where powerful interests chose secrecy over openness, even on matters that could affect global health.
What Information Remains Classified?
Many labs focused on legitimate disease surveillance and vaccine development. Intel officials say the the main problem is the scale, the secrecy, and the choice to pay for high-risk pathogen work with little visibility.
Gabbard’s team plans to keep updating the public as more details emerge. The goal, according to her office, is to end programs that pose unacceptable risks while improving oversight of any remaining legitimate research.
The full list of countries and exact lab locations has not been released in unredacted form due to ongoing security concerns.
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