Former CIA Officer Questions Trustworthiness of Russian Account on Researcher's Death

<p>Glenn Corn, a former CIA officer, stated that Russia’s history of deception complicates trust in the Kremlin’s account regarding a potential disease outbreak following the death of a 28-year-old researcher at a facility handling dangerous pathogens. Darya Shipilova, who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, fell ill in late September.</p><p>Reports circulated on social media suggesting that Shipilova died from pneumonic plague, but Russian authorities countered that she passed away on October 2 from "pneumonia of unknown etiology" and that tests showed no evidence of infection from her lab.</p><p>Corn expressed skepticism about the Russian government's official narrative, citing its past messaging during crises. He remarked, "This is what the challenge is, because they have the history of the 'boy who cried wolf syndrome.' They have this history of being deceitful. It's very hard to believe what they're saying." Corn is a professor at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C., and has over 20 years of experience overseas in intelligence.</p><p>He referenced historical examples of Russian cover-ups, including the 1979 anthrax outbreak in Sverdlovsk, which the Soviet Union initially attributed to tainted meat. It was not until 1992 that President Boris Yeltsin acknowledged the illnesses were linked to military activity at a biological weapons facility.</p><p>Corn noted that this tendency for deception continues under President Vladimir Putin. He pointed to the Kremlin’s previous denials of connections to the Wagner mercenary group, which was later confirmed to be financed by the Russian state.</p><p>Corn explained, "This goes to the strategic culture of leadership in Russia... and their fear of the rest of the world, and their belief that they have to deceive everybody because everybody is deceiving them." He also drew parallels with China, which shares similar governance practices from its Communist Party rule.</p><p>He highlighted that China faced criticism for withholding information during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in over 7 million deaths worldwide.</p><p>Corn emphasized that in both Russia and China, individuals are discouraged from revealing the truth about negative situations due to fear of repercussions. He advised U.S. officials to independently verify Russia's claims regarding Shipilova’s death and monitor for any signs of a broader outbreak.</p><p>As of now, there is no indication that Shipilova’s illness has spread. Russia's health watchdog reported that 60% of approximately 200 people quarantined after potential contact with Shipilova have been released, and no cases of plague have been detected.</p><p>The World Health Organization (WHO) assessed the risk outside Russia as "very low". WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the agency is in contact with Russian health authorities and has requested further information to clarify the cause of Shipilova's severe pneumonia.</p><p>On the same day, President Donald Trump indicated that he has a call scheduled with Putin regarding the case, stating that the U.S. is engaged in "very deep discussions" with Russia.</p>