Russian Covid vaccine creator found dead in his Moscow apartment, 1 held: Report

A Russian virologist who one of the scientist who helped develop Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine was found dead in his Moscow apartment, the Russian Media has reported. 

It was found that he was strangled to death with a belt in his Moscow apartment and a murder investigation launched on this.   

Andrey Botikov, 48, was one of the 18 scientist who developed Sputnik V vaccine at the Gamaleya National Research Center. 

According to some local media reports, a intruder had broke into his home and started asking for money. According to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, on March 2, 2023, in an apartment building located on Rogova Street in Moscow, a 29-year-old young man, during an argument, strangled the 47-year-old owner of the apartment with a belt and fled the scene. The investigative committee also said accused has been identified in the “in the shortest possible time.”

“In the shortest possible time, the location of the attacker was established. During the interrogation, he admitted his guilt, he was charged. Previously, the defendant was prosecuted for committing a serious crime,” it wrote. Some reports in the Russian media has named the accused as Alexei Z. 

According to his LinkedIn profile, Andrey Botikov had worked as a Senior Scientist at the Russian State Collection of Viruses DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology from July 2002 - November 2014.

After his stint there, he later joined as a Senior Scientist at the N. F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology & Microbiology in November 2014. He was also awarded an Order of Merit for the Fatherland for his work on the vaccine, as reported by the Mirror.

Meanwhile, the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Gamaleya Center) had last year said Russia's covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V demonstrates 97 percent efficacy against hospitalisation caused by Omicron variant following re-vaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V. 

However, this is not the first time a prominent person was killed or died. Earlier, A high-ranking Russian defence official, Marina Yankina, had died after falling from a window of a building in St Petersburg, DailyMail reported on 16 February. Yankina used to head the financial support department of the Russian Ministry of Defence for the Eastern Military District. Her body was found by a passerby at the entrance of a house on Zamshina Street in St Petersburg, added the report. Following her death, the Russian Investigative Committee and the press service of the Western Military District 'Fontanka' had begun a probe regarding her mysterious fall, the report added. Some reports also suggest that she was a key figure in the funding of Russia's military offensive in Ukraine and close to President Vladimir Putin.

Prior to Yankina death, Major General Vladimir Makarov was found dead in a suspected suicide. Makarov was recently fired by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as per news report. 

On 26 December, the deputy of the Russian Duma Pavel Antonov had died in India after falling out of a hotel window, as per the news report. 

According to a DailyMail report, the former chief of Russian Ground Forces Aleksey Maslov died in hospital on December 25 while Aleksandr Buzakov who served as the head of Russia's 'admiralty shipyards' for a decade died on December 24.