If you haven’t heard – and judging by the lack of coverage of this by the legacy media, you haven’t – a U.S. lab is being blamed for what would amount to an atrocity if it were committed on American soil.

As noted by Zero Hedge and reported by Ukrainian media, scores of soldiers were killed or sickened by a never-heard-of “virus” that likely leaked from a U.S. lab near the city of Kharkov. The illness? “California flu.”

“More than 20 Ukrainian soldiers have died and over 200 soldiers are hospitalized in a short period of time because of new and deadly virus, which is immune to all medicines,” Donbass News International reported.

The report stated further:

Donetsk People’s Republic intelligence has reported that Californian Flu is leaked from the same place where research of this virus has been carried out. The laboratory is located near the city of Kharkov and its base for US military experts. Information from threatening epidemic is announced by Vice-Commander of Donetsk Army, Eduard Basurin. 

‘California flu’ is not listed with the CDC

“According to the medical personnel of the AFU units (Ukrainian troops) there were recorded mass diseases among the Ukrainian military personnel in the field,” Basurin said in a Ministry of Defense situation report (SITREP). “Physicians recorded the unknown virus as a result of which the infected get the high fever which cannot be subdues by any medicines, and in two days there comes the fatal outcome. Thus far from the virus there have died more than twenty servicemen, what is carefully shielded by the commandment of the AFU from the publicity.”

The virus leak was first reported on Jan. 12 by the defense ministry.

“We keep registering new facts of growing the epidemics of acute respiratory infections among the Ukrainian military,” Basurin continued. “Just since the beginning of this week more than 200 Ukrainian military have been taken to civil and military hospitals of Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk.

“It is important to repeat that the DPR intelligence previously reported the research being carried out in a private laboratory in the locality Shelkostantsiya, 30 km away from the city of Kharkov, and involving U.S. military experts,” he continued. “According to our information, it is there where the deadly Californian flu strain leaked from.”

The flu was also reported by Radio Free Europe, which noted:

A flu epidemic is sweeping through the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk — and the conflict smoldering nearby is making the situation even worse. Doctors are unable to identify the exact strain of the virus, because the laboratory they need is across the front lines in separatist-controlled Donetsk.

A Web search for “California flu” turned up nothing, and there was no information about that type of flu on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site – only typical influenza information in the state of California.

What disease is this – really?

What’s more likely is that the strain of flu that has “leaked” from the U.S. military lab is a new strain of something that is both deadly and highly infectious – perhaps a new strain of biological warfare that perhaps legitimately did escape.

Or, was purposely tested.

Whatever it is, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is tracking it and is including information about its spread in regular intelligence SITREPs.

As of Jan. 25, spread of the virus was ongoing, Ukrainian government and military officials noted.

Meanwhile, while there is officially a “ceasefire” between Russia-backed separatist forces and the Ukrainian government forces, there are still sporadic exchanges of artillery and other small-scale clashes.

The Obama administration has sent U.S. troops – members of airborne units – to train Ukrainian forces. Also, NATO has sent trainers as well, including troops from various European nations and Canada.

Sources:

Zero Hedge

The Daily Beast