WSJ: 'Washington is pressing Moscow, official note is needed on the death linked to the plague'

The US increases pressure on Russia for the death in the Siberian laboratory studying pneumonic plague and for the subsequent quarantine measures. In an official note, known as a démarche, the State Department urged Moscow to comply with international health reporting obligations, warning that failure to disclose details about the death of a researcher violates international health obligations. The Wall Street Journal reports this, based on what US officials said, according to which Moscow has provided little information on the mysterious episode.

The classified diplomatic communication adds another element of tension between Washington and Moscow as President Donald Trump seeks to improve ties with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and make progress in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The tycoon told the media that he had scheduled a phone call with Putin "soon". Asked about what US intelligence agencies reported about the incident, the president said he should be able to provide more details today. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defined the information shared by Moscow as "still quite limited", without referring to the confidential diplomatic communication.

“We urge Russia to be transparent and share more information with the world, so that we can all react adequately and appropriately,” added Rubio, who is on a mission to Iceland to discuss security cooperation in the Arctic. "Maybe there's nothing serious. Maybe the matter is more serious than we thought. We don't know."

Four days after the death of the woman, identified by local media as Daria Shipilova, the Russian authorities have not yet disclosed the exact cause of death, limiting themselves to stating that it occurred due to pneumonia. The lack of details fueled speculation that the woman's laboratory work resulted in exposure to a lethal pathogen and raised questions about the adequacy of Russia's measures to contain what authorities said was an infectious disease. Under a 2005 global health agreement, known as the International Health Regulations, countries are required to notify the World Health Organization (WHO) within 24 hours of any event that may develop into a public health emergency of international concern.

The agreement also requires signatories to provide detailed updates, including laboratory results and measures taken to contain the threat.