Kremlin Denies Plague Reports, Labels Media Coverage as Misinformation

On Wednesday, the Kremlin dismissed claims of a second suspected plague case in Siberia, stating that much of the media coverage surrounding the incident is false.

The United States, the European Union, and the World Health Organization have urged Russia to provide transparency regarding the reported plague-related death of a laboratory technician at a Siberian research institute in Irkutsk last week.

WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also urged Moscow on Wednesday to clarify media reports suggesting a second employee had developed pneumonia of unknown origin.

When questioned about the reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked that the media has been reporting extensively on the matter.

He added that the vast majority of the media coverage is false information, urging the public to rely only on official statements from Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor.

Peskov also said he had no information about any formal request from Washington for clarification on the situation.

A source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday that the United States had submitted such a request through a confidential diplomatic channel, known as a demarche.

The Russian outlet People of Baikal reported on Friday that the deceased woman, identified as 28‑year‑old Darya Shipilova, may have contracted pneumonic plague after a test tube broke.

Other outlets have suggested a possible connection between her death and a laboratory accident at the facility.

The People of Baikal outlet also noted that as many as 200 individuals who may have come into contact with her have been placed under quarantine.

Russian officials, however, state that the cause of death has not been confirmed, and Rospotrebnadzor has denied online claims that special measures have been implemented.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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