Russia is running a military laboratory where scientists carry out deadly experiments on human test subjects to develop chemical and biological weapons, according to independent investigators and Western defense analysts.
The revelations come from independent Russian media outlets and Western specialists, exposing a program in which the state uses its own citizens as guinea pigs for testing high-potency toxins.
At the heart of these operations is the State Research Institute of Military Medicine—the only Russian military institution officially permitted to conduct experiments on living human subjects. Its declared objective is to determine the "most effective artillery to destroy or disable enemy manpower."
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During its first year, the facility recorded over 300 participants—mainly low-income Russians recruited through significant financial incentives—taking part in trials involving weapons, drugs, and vaccines, according to reports.
Former British Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE told The Sun that the disclosures are consistent with known state behavior: "He has already fed countless troops into his meat grinder, leaving over 1.5 million Russian casualties. The value of life in Russia is not how we understand it in the UK and the West. If they think they can get the best tests by using humans, they seem pretty happy to do it."
Mr de Bretton-Gordon drew parallels to historical Nazi-era experiments, pointing out that participants are usually recruited from poor and vulnerable communities, including ethnic minorities from eastern areas or inmates offered cash payments: "It is not dissimilar to the time where the Nazis considered some people of less value than others.", reports the Express.
The revelations come as the UK imposed sanctions on seven Russian scientists and two research facilities connected to the creation of Novichok and the poison Epibatidine. The latter substance was used in the 2024 killing of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny at an Arctic prison camp.
Novichok, the nerve agent used in Salisbury in 2018, led to the death of British national Dawn Sturgess and the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. An amount as tiny as a fraction of a grain of salt can be lethal, and the bottle found by investigators contained enough to kill numerous people.
Ukrainian officials have recorded more than 13,000 cases of chemical agent use by Russian troops since the 2022 invasion, with deployment rates rising dramatically in 2024 and continuing at high levels through the first half of 2026. As battle lines shift, security experts voice apprehension about possible intensification, including the use of long-lasting nerve agents delivered by drones.
Mr de Bretton-Gordon observed that Russia possesses the principal industrial capability for manufacturing these substances: "We are in a hybrid war with Russia.
"Biological and chemical weapons are something we need to be on top of. The Russian bear is severely wounded - and a wounded animal is always at its most dangerous just before it dies."