Kremlin Reportedly Silences Family of Dead Scientist After She 'Became Infected at Work' in Russia

Darya Shipilova’s suspected plague death has raised questions about laboratory safety, her family’s silence and Russia’s official explanation (Credit: @IntCyberDigest/X)

Russia plague scientist death reports at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute have raised new questions about Darya Shipilova's final days. The 28-year-old scientist died in the Irkutsk region in 2026. Her family reportedly stopped discussing the case after her mother publicly criticised the medical response. Allegations of pressure on the family were described in a recent report.

Russian authorities have said the incident in the Irkutsk region is closed after thousands of diagnostic tests. However, uncertainty remains over Shipilova's cause of death. Questions also surround the circumstances of any suspected infection and whether she may have contracted the disease at work.