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Murdered Russian general who exposed US biolab grabs Indonesian media attention Indonesia concerned about biolabs investigated by murdered Russian general – media
(32 minutes later)
Igor Kirillov’s reports inspired Jakarta to shut down Washington’s illegal biological research in the countryIgor Kirillov’s reports inspired Jakarta to shut down Washington’s illegal biological research in the country
The assassination of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who played a key role in unveiling covert US biological research programs in the country, grabbed the interest of Indonesian media this week. The assassination of Russian Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of the country’s Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces, has drawn renewed attention to his investigations into covert US biological research programs, including alleged activities in Indonesia, according to local media reports.
Kirillov, who was the commander of the Russian Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces, and his aide were murdered in an explosion in Moscow on Tuesday. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), which had previously labeled the general as an “absolutely legitimate target” for assassination, claimed responsibility for the attack. Kirillov, who was killed along with his aide in a Moscow explosion on Tuesday, had frequently accused the US of conducting secretive biological research under the guise of humanitarian aid and military cooperation. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), which previously labeled him an “absolutely legitimate target” for assassination, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
During his tenure, Kirillov repeatedly highlighted alleged US biolabs operating globally, focusing on Ukraine, but also pointing to facilities in Southeast Asia, including the US Navy’s now-closed NAMRU-2 laboratory in Jakarta. In his report in 2022, he claimed the lab conducted unauthorized biological research until its closure in 2010 after Indonesia’s Ministry of Health designated it a “threat to national sovereignty.”
Kirillov’s revelations prompted Indonesian media to revisit claims about NAMRU-2 and similar alleged activities. In April 2022, Detik, a prominent outlet, published an investigative report suggesting that US military personnel continued conducting secret biological research even after the lab’s closure.
During his time as the commander of the military branch responsible for protecting troops and civilians from chemical and biological weapons, Kirillov had on numerous occasions reported on Washington’s biolabs in various parts of the world, primarily in Ukraine. However, he has also pointed to other similar facilities in other countries, including Indonesia. According to Detik, in 2016, American naval surgeons aboard the USNS Mercy hospital ship performed surgeries on 23 Indonesian patients without the Health Ministry’s approval. US military personnel were also accused of illegally exporting blood samples and transporting rabid dogs from Padang, a rabies-endemic region, without permission. Local health officials reported that American teams had sought samples of the dengue fever virus from local mosquitoes, allegedly bypassing Indonesian regulations.
In his report in 2022, Kirillov specifically mentioned the US Navy’s NAMRU 2 lab in Jakarta, claiming that it had been used to conduct suspicious biological research in Indonesia up until it was closed in 2010 after the Indonesian Health Ministry designated it as a “threat to Indonesia’s sovereignty.”  Former Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari, who led efforts to shut down NAMRU-2, previously described the lab’s decades-long operations as “ineffective” and potentially harmful. In a 2022 interview with RT Indonesian Bureau Chief Denis Bolotsky, she noted that despite its stated focus on malaria and tuberculosis research, NAMRU-2’s contributions had been “insignificant.”
Kirillov’s report prompted Indonesian media to launch their own investigations into US biological research in the country. In April 2022, the Detik news outlet released a report suggesting that, despite the lab ban, the US had continued conducting illegal research in the country under the cover of military exercises.  Supari’s resistance reportedly caused friction with Washington. Leaked US diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks in 2010 revealed multiple high-level meetings where US officials discussed strategies to “manage” Supari and pressure her into allowing the lab to continue operations.
According to documents obtained by the outlet, in 2016, American naval surgeons performed operations on 23 local patients on board the USNS Mercy hospital ship without coordination with Indonesia’s Ministry of Health. US military personnel were also alleged to have secretly exported blood samples taken from dozens of Indonesian patients and transported three rabid dogs from Padang – an area where rabies is endemic – without Jakarta’s permission. Local health officials also told Detik that the Americans had wanted to obtain samples of the dengue fever virus from local mosquitoes.
As for NAMRU 2, the lab was closed after then-Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari raised concerns over the facility’s operations and questioned its efficacy. Speaking to RT’s Indonesian Bureau Chief, Denis Bolotsky, in 2022, she noted that the results of the lab, which had been operating for nearly 40 years and was supposedly focused on studying malaria and tuberculosis, “were not significant.”
Supari’s attempts to close the NAMRU lab had reportedly become a big problem for Washington, which, according to memos leaked by Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks in 2010, held multiple meetings on the issue and discussed ways to “manage” the minister and pressure her into keeping the facility open.