Squirrels may be behind Russian scientist's plague death, friends allege

Russian officials suspect a lab accident caused the death of scientist Daria Shipilova, but her friends claim she may have contracted bubonic plague from infected squirrels during a field expedition near Mongolia, raising questions about a possible Kremlin cover-up. Shipilova, 28, died on October 2 after being hospitalized with suspected plague. Authorities initially denied she visited the Buryatia region, then edited statements to say she "possibly" died of plague. Friends dispute the lab leak theory, noting the facility uses only plastic test tubes and requires full hazmat suits. Around 200 contacts have been quarantined, and five hospitals plus a factory town are on high alert. Local authorities deleted warnings and social media posts, while officials now cite "unidentified pneumonia" as the cause of death.