Military virologists settle on secret island lab in Tver Oblast
Military virologists have established a secretive laboratory on Lisiy Island in Tver Oblast, where construction began five years ago and access is now strictly restricted. The facility, part of a federal medical-biological agency, is reportedly staffed by military specialists and focuses on high-risk pathogens.
Consensus
- Five years ago, construction began on Lisiy Island in the Vyshnevolotskoye Reservoir in Tver Oblast.
- The island is covered with a pine forest and was previously home to a derelict veterinary station.
- The old buildings were demolished to make way for a new laboratory, several vacation homes, and a helipad.
- Access to the island is now strictly prohibited, and the surrounding waters are declared a nature monument.
- The facility is officially known as the 'Center for Experimental Physiology of the Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Medical-Biological Risks to Health'.
- The facility is part of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA), which is officially a civilian organization responsible for medical support of cosmonauts and athletes, and for responding to disasters and biological incidents.
- The FMBA was placed directly under Putin’s control two years ago and is referred to as the 'medical special forces'.
- The lab is seeking employees willing to work with highly dangerous pathogens such as Ebola, anthrax, and plague.
- The lab is led by military specialists who previously headed a notorious Russian military research institute associated with biological weapons development during the Soviet era and reportedly still involved in such work according to Western intelligence.
Coverage (2 sources)
- Military virologists established themselves on a secret island in the Tver region — The Insider
- Military virologists established themselves on a secret island in the Tver region — Радио Свобода