Germany Demands Full Transparency from Russia After Death at Siberian Plague Research Institute

Germany has demanded full transparency from Russia following the death of an employee at a plague research institute in Siberia, raising concerns about a possible laboratory incident.

Faktxeber.Az reports that German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, in an interview with Bild, said Russia must answer questions from the international community.

He also raised the possibility of imposing “strict travel restrictions” to protect Europe.

“We can neither accept this risk nor allow it,” the politician stressed.

The death of a 28-year-old employee at a plague research institute in Irkutsk has sparked concern. According to Russian media reports, a test tube containing the plague pathogen broke in a laboratory on September 25. The woman was hospitalized four days later and died on October 2. Reports have also emerged of a second suspected infection at the same institute.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) has denied reports of a second plague case in the Irkutsk region. Regional Governor Igor Kobzev announced on Thursday that the quarantine had been lifted. Officials said the laboratory employee died of pneumonia.

Roman Wölfel, head of the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, said there is currently no immediate threat to Germany or Europe.

According to Wölfel, pneumonic plague is primarily transmitted through close contact and does not spread as easily as COVID-19 or measles.