Russia in the 21st Century [Superthread]

[HavokFour]

Oh boy.

[CNN]Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of ‘unknown’ infection​

[Axios]Scoop: White House monitors suspected plague outbreak in Russia​

Suspected plague outbreak erupts in Russia after scientist dies — Putin accused of trying to cover it up

A deadly black plague outbreak has reportedly erupted in Russia — killing a young scientist, forcing nearly 200 people into isolation and triggering accusations that Vladimir Putin’s re…

nypost.com

Has plague returned to Siberia? Panic after lab worker's death

A female staff member at an anti-plague institute in the Irkutsk region who died amid rumours of a "black death" outbreak was diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown origin". Rospotrebnadzor insists that the situation in the region is "stable".

www.euronews.com

Nearly 200 People Under Observation After Irkutsk Lab Worker Dies From Plague - The Moscow Times

Health authorities in Siberia’s Irkutsk region have placed nearly 200 people under medical observation after a laboratory worker died from plague, according to media reports and a statement by a regional leader Friday.

www.themoscowtimes.com

 

[Gordon Dundas/]

Oh boy.

[CNN]Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of ‘unknown’ infection​

[Axios]Scoop: White House monitors suspected plague outbreak in Russia​

Suspected plague outbreak erupts in Russia after scientist dies — Putin accused of trying to cover it up

A deadly black plague outbreak has reportedly erupted in Russia — killing a young scientist, forcing nearly 200 people into isolation and triggering accusations that Vladimir Putin’s re…

nypost.com

Has plague returned to Siberia? Panic after lab worker's death

A female staff member at an anti-plague institute in the Irkutsk region who died amid rumours of a "black death" outbreak was diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown origin". Rospotrebnadzor insists that the situation in the region is "stable".

www.euronews.com

Nearly 200 People Under Observation After Irkutsk Lab Worker Dies From Plague - The Moscow Times

Health authorities in Siberia’s Irkutsk region have placed nearly 200 people under medical observation after a laboratory worker died from plague, according to media reports and a statement by a regional leader Friday.

www.themoscowtimes.com

Not only am I not surprised, I'm amazed it hasn't happened sooner. I always wondered when all those Russian biowarfare labs would cause something like this.
And yes I know Biowarfare research is strictly regulated....here.

 

[brihard]

Oh boy.

[CNN]Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of ‘unknown’ infection​

[Axios]Scoop: White House monitors suspected plague outbreak in Russia​

Suspected plague outbreak erupts in Russia after scientist dies — Putin accused of trying to cover it up

A deadly black plague outbreak has reportedly erupted in Russia — killing a young scientist, forcing nearly 200 people into isolation and triggering accusations that Vladimir Putin’s re…

nypost.com

Has plague returned to Siberia? Panic after lab worker's death

A female staff member at an anti-plague institute in the Irkutsk region who died amid rumours of a "black death" outbreak was diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown origin". Rospotrebnadzor insists that the situation in the region is "stable".

www.euronews.com

Nearly 200 People Under Observation After Irkutsk Lab Worker Dies From Plague - The Moscow Times

Health authorities in Siberia’s Irkutsk region have placed nearly 200 people under medical observation after a laboratory worker died from plague, according to media reports and a statement by a regional leader Friday.

www.themoscowtimes.com

Pneumonic plague is no joke. Frankly I’m more concerned that we have any information coming out of Russia on this at all; that suggests it may be significantly worse than what we are hearing.

Russia is widely believed to still have an active biological weapons program. I question any narrative the Russians offer about how this happened and the nature of the facility in which it did. The “dropped vial” story is suspect; protocol for a suspected exposure would be an immediate and strong course of antibiotics. A dropped vial in a lab setting wouldn’t be ambiguous.

Anywho. Russia gonna Russia.

 

[OldSolduer]

The plague in all its forms still exists and in fact there are a few cases reported to the WHO every year.

But the fact (we think) that the Russians are researching it should send shudders down your spine...

 

[Staff Weenie]

Weaponized Yersinia pestis is nightmare material. Pneumonic plague is due to inhalation of the pathogen, and the Soviets did develop liquid and dry forms or aerosols. Yes, there are effective antibiotics for treatment - for known variants. The million dollar question is whether this is a known variant. Treatment needs to begin within 24 hours of the appearance of symptoms. If not, the mortality rate approaches 100%.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Pneumonic plague is no joke. Frankly I’m more concerned that we have any information coming out of Russia on this at all; that suggests it may be significantly worse than what we are hearing.

Russia is widely believed to still have an active biological weapons program. I question any narrative the Russians offer about how this happened and the nature of the facility in which it did. The “dropped vial” story is suspect; protocol for a suspected exposure would be an immediate and strong course of antibiotics. A dropped vial in a lab setting wouldn’t be ambiguous.

Anywho. Russia gonna Russia.

Not their first biolab failure Vozrozhdeniya Island - Wikipedia

 

[dapaterson]

Weaponized Yersinia pestis is nightmare material. Pneumonic plague is due to inhalation of the pathogen, and the Soviets did develop liquid and dry forms or aerosols. Yes, there are effective antibiotics for treatment - for known variants. The million dollar question is whether this is a known variant. Treatment needs to begin within 24 hours of the appearance of symptoms. If not, the mortality rate approaches 100%.

Glass half full: The CAF has a program to prepare for biological warfare threats.

Glass half empty: There are challenges with the program.

Evaluation of the Strategic Medical Countermeasures Program Summary Report - Canada.ca

Evaluation of the Strategic Medical Countermeasures Program Summary Report

www.canada.ca

 

[Cloud Cover]

If Russia doesn’t soon provide answers this will become ugly very quickly. A “Demarche” is basically throwing down the glove.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/06/politics/russia-plague-death-trump

 

[brihard]

If Russia doesn’t soon provide answers this will become ugly very quickly. A “Demarche” is basically throwing down the glove.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/06/politics/russia-plague-death-trump

Lots of small but weird and concerning signals around this… Not liking it.

 

[RangerRay]

Great. The country with RFK Jr as health secretary and the same president as during the COVID outbreak with a Putin man crush is “struggling to plan” for a plague outbreak from a Russian bio lab. What can go wrong?

 

[OldSolduer]

Glass half full: The CAF has a program to prepare for biological warfare threats.

Glass half empty: There are challenges with the program.

Evaluation of the Strategic Medical Countermeasures Program Summary Report - Canada.ca

Evaluation of the Strategic Medical Countermeasures Program Summary Report

www.canada.ca

Like a lot of things CAF wise.

 

[Gordon Dundas/]

Good news ,bad news sort of thing the plague bug is at least treatable with antibiotics. The bad news is the Russians are being Wuhan transparent.
Which brings me to the to possibly even worse and hopefully paranoia on my part .
Is it weaponized ? Which leads to the the next ugly question, are the usual antibiotics up to it ?

 

[armrdsoul77]

Sounds like a job for Ivermectin.

 

[armrdsoul77]

 

[brihard]

Good news ,bad news sort of thing the plague bug is at least treatable with antibiotics. The bad news is the Russians are being Wuhan transparent.
Which brings me to the to possibly even worse and hopefully paranoia on my part .
Is it weaponized ? Which leads to the the next ugly question, are the usual antibiotics up to it ?

If this was a simple straightforward case of natural pneumonic plague released in a lab vial drop, that would likely have been easily addressed with an immediate prophylactic dose of heavy antibiotics. Pneumonic plague is rough but is straightforward to contain with appropriate respiratory precautions and contact tracing.

Info out of Russia on this is pretty much garbage, but if the U.S. is considering a diplomatic démarche seeking info, that suggests that, with the full backing of the U.S. intelligence community behind them, the U.S. government is not confident as to the actual true nature and extent of whatever’s going on.

This is inconsistent with the story out of Russia, and that inconsistency is concerning.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Who knows what is going on behind the scenes. I suspect any multinational work would be kept on the down low. Russia doesn't want to be seen needing help and no one wants to be seen helping them.

No reason to panic, yet.

 

[brihard]

Who knows what is going on behind the scenes. I suspect any multinational work would be kept on the down low. Russia doesn't want to be seen needing help and no one wants to be seen helping them.

No reason to panic, yet.

Yup, no reason to panic yet for sure. Right now it’s just ‘general suspicion of Russia’ turning into ‘more specific suspicion of Russia’.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Yup, no reason to panic yet for sure. Right now it’s just ‘general suspicion of Russia’ turning into ‘more specific suspicion of Russia’.

Its in everyone's best interest to contain this. I don't think any multinational help will be made public.

 

[brihard]

Its in everyone's best interest to contain this. I don't think any multinational help will be made public.

You’re probably right.

 

[Gordon Dundas/]

Yup, no reason to panic yet for sure. Right now it’s just ‘general suspicion of Russia’ turning into ‘more specific suspicion of Russia’.

Russians just gotta Russian .