Kremlin welcomes US aid offer after plague institute death in Irkutsk

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia positively views the US offer of assistance following the death of an employee at an anti-plague institute in the Irkutsk region, Russian media reported. Peskov stated that Moscow sees nothing wrong with the American proposal, saying "it is always very good when mutual help is offered." However, he claimed not to have heard President Trump's remarks calling the situation "a big problem for Russia," and urged trust in official statements from Russian consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor. The employee, Darya Shipilova, died in early October after being hospitalized with pneumonia symptoms. Several hospitals and a maternity ward were quarantined, and 189 contacts were hospitalized. Trump offered US assistance on October 5, though he had not yet spoken directly with Russian authorities.