Login
The Story

Is Russia covering up a plague outbreak?

October 9, 2026
Is Russia covering up a plague outbreak?

In Siberia last week, a Russian researcher working at an institute specialising in dangerous infectious diseases is believed to have died of unexplained pneumonia. Local media suggested it was pneumonic plague; the Kremlin continues to obfuscate. So what’s really happening? With its history of cover ups, can we trust what Russia is telling the world? And how worried should we be?


This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory


Guests:

  • Rhys Blakely, science editor, The Times.
  • Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent, The Times.


Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com


Read more: Russia denies a plague outbreak. Its history of coverups is less reassuring

Further listening: Is Spain’s PM next for eviction?

Clips: The 2nd militarised fire department of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the 6th paramilitary fire and rescue unit at Chernobyl, Dark Docs / YouTube, BBC, ABC, Настоящее Время, KGWNews8, CNN.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


Read more

0 comment

Be the first to comment on this content.


The podcast

The Story is the flagship daily news podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times, exploring one major story in depth each weekday with original reporting and investigations. It aims to “tell the story behind the story”, offering listeners clear, narrative-driven explanations of the issues shaping the world today.

Latest episodes

How can I listen to other podcasts?

Click here to discover another podcast randomly, or here to browse our categories. Lazy? That's okay, we did some research and selected podcasts just for you.


And what is Podmust?

Podmust is a french project aiming to promote the best podcasts. You can help us by sharing this page (this also helps the podcast, by the way). Thank you! 🙏

Stay informed, the audio way.

Podmust curates what you need to listen.
Discover some of our collections: our best Sports & Recreation podcastsour best News & Politics podcastsour best TV & Film podcasts.

UK Edition

Well, the bad news is: we're French. But the good news is: Podmust curates the world's podcasts so you can focus on staying informed or entertained. And voilà!

© Podmust
Navigation