Trump Schedules Putin Call on Reported Irkutsk Death

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday, October 6, that he had a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon” about reports that a technician at an anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, Siberia, had died. Trump said Washington was in “very deep discussions” and might have more information to report the following day. The death’s cause remains undetermined, and Russian officials say plague was not detected. The World Health Organization has sought further information from Russia, saying the details available so far indicate a moderate-to-low public-health risk in Irkutsk. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Moscow to share more information, saying transparency would help countries respond appropriately. The WHO also called for further details to clarify reports and assess potential risks. A reported confidential U.S. diplomatic communication to Russia warning about disclosure obligations was described in published accounts, but the State Department communication itself was not included in the information available here. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said a regional inspection found that the technician died of pneumonia, with the cause undetermined.