‘Stop All Flights To & From Russia’: Dhruv Rathee Sounds Alarm Over Suspected Plague Case

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has urged countries to immediately suspend all flights to and from Russia amid concerns over a suspected case of pneumonic plague in Siberia that has reportedly led to nearly 200 people being placed under medical observation.

In a post on X, Rathee said, “All countries should immediately STOP ALL FLIGHTS to and from Russia,” warning authorities not to wait until the situation develops into “another pandemic”.

He argued that even if the suspected threat turns out to be insignificant, a temporary two-week flight restriction would be a relatively limited precaution, while failure to act if the situation proves serious could be “disastrous”.

Rathee’s remarks came after an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East reportedly died after developing pneumonia of unknown origin. Local media identified the deceased as 28-year-old laboratory technician Darya Shipilova.

Buryatia Governor Alexei Tsydenov said the woman had “died, maybe of the plague”, while stressing that authorities had confirmed she had not travelled to Buryatia.

Russia’s consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said testing had so far found no microorganisms associated with the woman’s professional activities. However, further testing of samples has been ordered, while people who may have come into contact with her have reportedly been placed under observation.

The US State Department said Washington was closely monitoring the situation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and urged Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly.

Pneumonic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, can spread through respiratory droplets and can be fatal without prompt treatment, according to the WHO.