Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The death of a 28-year-old woman working at a research lab has sparked fear of a suspected plague outbreak.
An unexplained death in Siberia has sparked a global diplomatic standoff.
ABC News reported that the United States issued a formal diplomatic démarche to Moscow, asking for full transparency after a 28-year-old laboratory worker named Darya Shipilova died in Siberia after falling ill at a research lab.
“We have officially requested additional information from the Russian government. We are also in official communication with other countries around the world to share information,” a State Department spokesperson told ABC News.
At the White House, President Donald Trump said he planned to discuss the issue with Vladimir Putin. “Anybody that has that kind of a problem, we’re always willing to help,” Trump told reporters.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Moscow to cooperate. “I think it’s incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world. That’s what they should do,” Rubio said in Iceland.
Mystery in Siberia
According to Reuters, the incident occurred at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, where she suffered severe respiratory problems.
Russian officials quarantined about 200 people who had contact with her. Moscow insists Shipilova died from “pneumonia of an unknown cause,” and health agency Rospotrebnadzor said “no accidents have been detected at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute while working with pathogenic microorganisms.”
The World Health Organization has also asked for clarity. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, posted on X that his team needs more details from Russian authorities.
“WHO has requested further information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted the public health measures, and media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause,” Tedros stated.
Kremlin pushes back
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pushed back against international pressure. He told reporters that Russia had already informed the WHO in line with official procedures.
Peskov dismissed press reports of a wider outbreak. According to Reuters, he stated that “the media are reporting a great deal right now, and the overwhelming majority of what the media are reporting around this situation is false information.”
Peskov also advised the public to rely strictly on official updates from Rospotrebnadzor.
