The Soviet Union’s Invisible Weapons of Mass Destruction: Biopreparat's Covert Biological Warfare Programme

Description

This book focuses on Biopreparat, the Soviet agency created in 1974, which spearheaded the largest and most sophisticated biological warfare programme the world has ever seen. At its height, Biopreparat employed more than 30,000 personnel and incorporated an enormous network embracing military-focused research institutes, design centres, biowarfare pilot facilities and dual-use production plants. The secret network pursued major offensive R&D programmes, which sought to use genetic engineering techniques to create microbial strains resistant to antibiotics and with wholly new and unexpected pathogenic properties. During the mid-1980s, Biopreparat increased in size and political importance and also emerged as a major civil biopharmaceutical player in the USSR. In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, an acute struggle for control of Biopreparat’s most valuable assets took place and the network was eventually broken-up and control of its facilities transferred to a myriad of state agencies and private companies. Acknowledgements Contents About the Author List of Figures Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Secret History: Khrushchev’s Creation of Soviet Reserve Biological Warfare Mobilization Facilities Within Civil Production Plants in the 1950s and 1960s Chapter 3: Glavmikrobioprom and the Emergence of the Soviet Microbiological Industry The Soviet Microbial Proteins Programme “Food from Oil”: Soviet Production of Microbial Proteins from Petroleum Derivatives From Chemical to Biological Weapons: The Appointment of Vasilii Dmitrievich Belyaev as Head of the Microbiological Industry BW R&D and Production Programmes Directly Pursued by Glavmikrobioprom The Creation of Microbiological Facilities at Stepnogorsk The Establishment of the Interdepartmental Scientific-Technical Council (MNTS) for Molecular Biology and Genetics Under Glavmikrobioprom Chapter 4: Genesis: The Creation of Biopreparat Biopreparat’s Initial Network of R&D and Production Facilities VNIIbiokhimmashproekt: The Beating Heart of Biopreparat VNIIbiokhimmashproekt’s Affiliated Sister Institutes The Creation of the Science Production Association Biomash (NPO Biomash) Chapter 5: Anthrax on the Kazakh Steppe: Biopreparat’s Network of Experimental-Industrial Bases The Omutninsk Scientific Experimental-Industrial Base (ONOPB) The Berdsk Scientific Experimental-Industrial Base (BNOPB) The Stepnogorsk Scientific Experimental-Industrial Base (SNOPB) The Transfer of B. anthracis Production from Sverdlovsk to Stepnogorsk Chapter 6: The Creation of Biopreparat’s Scientific Base: The R&D Complexes at Obolensk, Kol’tsovo and Leningrad Accomplishments of VNII PM in Soviet Weaponization Programmes: Bonfire (Koster) The Factor (Faktor) Programme at Obolensk The Transfer of the Lotoshino Production Plant to VNII PM Biopreparat’s Virology Centre: The All-Union Institute of Molecular Biology (VNII MB) The Creation of the Science Production Association Vektor Accomplishments of VNII MB in Soviet Weaponization Programmes Accidents During VNII MB’s Pursuit of Weaponization Programmes The Civil Cover Is Blown: The Defection of Vladimir Artemovich Pasechnik to the UK and the Exposure of Biopreparat’s Secret BW Research Programme Chapter 7: A Roadmap to the Future? The Emergence of Biopreparat as a Major Civil Biopharmaceutical Player Engagement with the West: The Emergence of Kanatzhan Baizakovich Alibekov Decay, Corruption and Environmental Protest: The Birth of the State Concern Biopreparat Chapter 8: A Brave New World: Building Capitalism in the New Russia and the Struggle for Control of Biopreparat Kalinin’s Retention of Power Within Russia’s Pharmaceutical Sector The Establishment of the Open Joint Stock Company Biopreparat-Tsentr (Biopreparat-Centre) Proposed Biopreparat Role in the Conversion of Russia’s Military Biological Facilities The Financial Meltdown Within RAO Biopreparat and the Pivotal Role of the ISTC The Fight for Ownership of Biopreparat’s Assets Biopreparat and the Bitter Struggle for Control of Lyubuchany Biopreparat’s Engagement with Russian and US Commercial Companies at Lyubuchany The New Russia and the Struggle for the Control of Assets at Lyubuchany The Creation of the Open Joint Stock Company Biopreparat Estimating Numbers of Biopreparat Personnel Scientific Meltdown: The Loss of Core Components of the Biopreparat Network Operating in a System Subject to Endemic Corruption and Organized Crime Recombinant Insulin Production in Kazakhstan: Biopreparat’s Ambitious Plans to Convert Military Biological Facilities at Stepnogorsk US Engagement with Biomedpreparat and Destruction of BW Facilities at Stepnogorsk Biopreparat’s Glittering Legacy: The Emergence of International Biotechnology Reagent Companies Russia’s Civil Focus for Facilities at Vostochnyi US Assistance in Dismantling of Biopreparat Dual-Use BW Facilities in Russia Ending Not with a Bang but a Whimper Chapter 9: Conclusion Characteristics of the Biopreparat BW Programme Soviet Rationale for the Launch of the Biopreparat Programme The Achievements of the Biopreparat Programme Biopreparat’s Legacy Appendix A: Soviet and Russian Abbreviations and Acronyms Appendix B: Composition of the Interbranch Scientific and Technical Council for Molecular Biology and Genetics (MNTS) Appendix C: List of Associations, Enterprises and Organizations Included Within the State Concern Biopreparat, 4 April 19911 Appendix D: Award of Soviet State Honours to Glavmikrobioprom and Biopreparat Personnel Index