Russia rejects transparency calls as second Siberia plague case reported

Russia dismissed international calls for transparency on Wednesday over the death of a Siberian lab technician from plague, as reports emerged of a second infection case. Authorities said nearly 5,000 tests found no dangerous pathogens and saw "no epidemic risk," while the Kremlin called most media reporting "false." The 28-year-old employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, Darya Shipilova, died last week in Shelekhov. Rospotrebnadzor said she was vaccinated and immune, with over 90% of her contacts completing medical monitoring. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged citizens to rely solely on official statements, while US President Donald Trump scheduled a call with Vladimir Putin and sent a demarche requesting information, which Peskov said he had no knowledge of receiving. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for "timely, complete and transparent information-sharing" under international health rules. The WHO assessed the possible case as "very low" risk beyond Russia's borders, citing reduced contact due to the Ukraine war and sanctions. Pneumonic plague, which can spread person-to-person, would be Russia's first confirmed infection since 2016 if verified.