Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is raising alarms that Russia may be conducting biological weapons research involving the plague. Global health officials are pressing for answers about the mysterious death of a worker at a Siberian laboratory.
Paul chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. In an interview Tuesday, he said Russia’s history of biological weapons work and the circumstances surrounding the worker’s death demand a closer look.
“We do know from defectors in the 1970s and ’80s that they were weaponizing the plague,” Paul told Fox News’ Will Cain. “So, this is concerning.”
The 28-year-old worker died Friday after being hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia. Her unexplained death prompted the World Health Organization to seek more information from Russian authorities, both about her case and about a possible second incident.
The worker, Daria Shipilova, was employed at an anti-plague research facility in Russia’s Irkutsk region. She reportedly died after breaking a test tube containing live bacteria on Sept. 25.
Irkutsk region Governor Igor Kobzev said the employee died of “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” The case triggered an investigation and the isolation of nearly 200 people who may have been exposed.
Paul did not provide evidence for his claims, and he did not confirm that the worker’s death was tied to a biological weapons program. He did suggest that U.S. officials review satellite imagery and Russian military activity for any signs of unusual developments.
“It looks like some people are insinuating there is more activity than you would normally get from one case of the plague,” the Kentucky Republican said, “which makes us concerned, could it be weaponized?”
The senator also took aim at Moscow’s lack of clarity about what caused the death, calling it “alarming.” Paul argued that officials should be able to determine quickly whether the plague was to blame.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was aware of the incident. The agency said it is “closely monitoring reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague” but sees no current sign of a broader threat to the United States.
In a statement, the CDC explained why the situation calls for careful attention.
“Pneumonic plague can spread person-to-person through respiratory droplets during close contact, which is why rapid identification and treatment of infected individuals, and monitoring of potentially exposed individuals, are important public health measures,” the agency said.
Several questions remain open as the international inquiry continues. Russian officials have yet to clarify whether the plague caused Shipilova’s death. The WHO is still seeking details on a second possible incident. And Paul’s push for scrutiny has put a spotlight on Moscow’s past biological weapons activity, which he says Soviet-era defectors exposed decades ago.
For now, Paul is urging U.S. officials to keep a close eye on Russia. He warned that the unusual level of activity surrounding a single suspected plague case raises a troubling possibility that Washington cannot afford to ignore.
