Trump Downplays Possibility of Russian Plague Scientist Dying from Bioweapon

President Trump on Thursday expressed skepticism about the possibility that a Russian scientist died from a biological weapon in Siberia, stating, "We don't think so. We're going to find out soon enough, but we don't think so." He added that Russia has not shared extensive information regarding the incident, but acknowledged that US officials have provided him with an update.

Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, Trump drew comparisons to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that China also initially provided limited information. "China didn't say much, and Russia's not saying much either," Trump observed, "But they do say they have it very much under control."

The president indicated that he has a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation, though he did not specify when the conversation would take place. He mentioned that Russian officials are sharing some information with their American counterparts and that the U.S. expects more.

Daria Shipilova, 28, a researcher at the Anti-Plague Research Institute near Irkutsk, died on Friday. Her death has fueled speculation, particularly given the institute's work and historical context of biological weapons development in the region. Initial reports suggested Shipilova may have been infected after a laboratory accident, and there were mixed signals about the exact cause of death, with some indicating it could have been pneumonic plague.

Concerns have been amplified by experts who point to the scale of the Russian government's public health response as potentially disproportionate for a simple lab exposure. Some scientists have suggested that the lack of transparency and the response could indicate something more serious, such as an engineered pathogen. Historically, Soviet scientists were known to have experimented with antibiotic-resistant strains of plague bacteria.

"Physical lockdown indicates it cannot be controlled with prophylactic antibiotics, implying engineered pan-resistance or that it isn't plague at all," wrote MIT biotechnology professor Kevin Esvelt on X, formerly Twitter.

Marshall Billingslea, a former senior Pentagon and Treasury Department official, recalled working with a defector who claimed Irkutsk was involved in the Soviet biological weapons program, developing antibiotic-resistant plague strains. "This outbreak is deeply worrisome. This may not be just ‘the plague.’ It may be far worse," Billingslea stated on X.