Diplomats have heard suggestions throughout the conflict in Ukraine that viruses, bacteria and other pathogens could be used as tools of war. Hundreds of delegates gathered in Geneva on Monday to discuss the threat of bioweapons.

The Biological Weapons Convention prohibits the production, stockpiling and use of such arms. Diplomats and health security experts are meeting for the first time in six years to review the treaty.

"While bringing biosafety, and biosecurity to much higher prominence, the pandemic also demonstrated the disruption that could be caused if biological agents were to be used in a deliberate manner as a weapon of war or terror," said Nakamitsu Izumi, the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

Nakamitsu encouraged member nations to investigate and respond to any violations. But some delegates fear those from Russia could use their platform at the conference to further a campaign of disinformation.

Leaders in Moscow have claimed that US officials have supported secret biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine. Russia's representative to the UN in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, repeated those claims in his opening remarks.