US pressures Russia to disclose details of suspected plague leak; Trump says 'doesn't look like' bioweapon

The United States has sent Russia a formal diplomatic note demanding more information about last month's suspected plague pathogen leak at a Siberian research laboratory, The New York Times and other outlets reported Wednesday (local time).

According to those reports, the State Department delivered a "demarche" — a formal diplomatic communication conveying an official position, protest or demand — to the Russian government. In a statement Wednesday, the department said it had "formally requested additional information from the Russian government" and was "formally communicating with other countries around the world to share information." The Wall Street Journal reported that the note also warned that withholding details about the incident constitutes a violation of international health obligations.

The incident occurred Sept. 25, when Darya Shipilova, 28, an employee at a plague-control research institute in Irkutsk, Russia, accidentally broke a test tube containing a live pathogen. Her condition worsened two days later, and she was hospitalized Sept. 29, dying in the hospital's intensive care unit on Friday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump administration officials have repeatedly pressed Russia for more information since the incident. It remains unclear whether the cause of death was pneumonic plague — a form of the disease that is fatal without prompt treatment — and how far the highly contagious illness may have spread.

Donald Trump said he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone soon about the matter. The administration, still lacking sufficient information, has held off on any new government-level response while closely monitoring developments. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday on X that "at this time, there are no signs of a widespread threat to the United States," adding that the CDC and its partner agencies "are prepared and continue to monitor the situation closely."

The State Department's travel information service, Travel.gov, posted Wednesday on X that "the US government has limited ability to assist US citizens inside Russia, particularly outside of Moscow," and that the department's Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for Russia "remains in effect." The post urged any US citizens currently in Russia to leave immediately.

Speaking to reporters at the White House that day, Trump said he did not believe the plague outbreak in Russia was a biological weapon. "I don't think so," he said, adding, "We'll know soon enough." He noted that Russian officials say the situation is under control.

Asked whether the current situation reminded him of the early days of COVID-19 in China during his first term, Trump said, "China didn't say much, and Russia hasn't said much either," but added that Russia claims it has the situation "pretty well under control." China faced widespread criticism for not disclosing sufficient information about COVID-19 in the early stages of its spread after cases were first reported there in late 2019.