The official stance of the Chinese government is that the Chinese coronavirus pandemic — which began in Wuhan, China, in 2019, was triggered by a laboratory leak in Maryland and covered up using cases of e-cigarette injuries. Beijing has yet to explain how the virus began spreading in Wuhan before it spread in the United States if this theory is accurate, or how non-contagious injuries could secretly be cases of highly infectious Chinese coronavirus transmission.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland confirmed in a Congressional hearing on Tuesday that Ukraine was home to “biological research facilities” and that the State Department was “quite concerned” Russia would seize them as part of its military campaign in the country.

“Ukraine has biological research facilities which, in fact, we are now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of,” Nuland said in response to a question from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), “so we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach.”

Nuland added she would have “no doubt” that Russian forces would be responsible in the event of any biological attack in Ukraine.