A technician at a plague research centre in Siberia died on Tuesday, prompting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to urge citizens to disregard unverified rumours and to rely solely on information from Russia’s public health watchdog. The official cause of death given by the watchdog was pneumonia of unknown origin.
During a brief interview, Peskov was asked by BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier offer of help to Russia’s research programmes. Trump had said he was ready to provide support for pathogen research and to share expertise. Peskov stated no information has been received, and he encouraged people to follow the official channel for updates.
The incident has raised questions about laboratory safety protocols in Russia’s highly secretive biosafety facilities, and the potential risks of adverse events. International observers have cautioned that such facilities require strict oversight and transparency to prevent accidental releases.
For more on the situation, read the related BBC report: US watch closely after plague researcher dies in Russia.
