Russian scientist who helped invent Sputnik V COVID vaccine found strangled to death in home

A Russian virologist who helped develop the country’s COVID vaccine was found dead in his apartment on Thursday, according to authorities.

(Article republished from InfoWars.com)

Andrey Botikov, one of 18 scientists who developed the Sputnik V vaccine, was believed to have been strangled to death with a belt.

From Newsweek:

Andrey Botikov, one of 18 scientists who developed the Sputnik V vaccine at the Gamaleya National Research Center, was identified as the man who had been discovered strangled in his Rogova Street home on March 2, Regnum reported, citing official sources. It previously reported that he had survived the attack.

The Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) has now opened a murder investigation, believing that a 29-year-old man strangled the scientist with a belt during a disagreement before fleeing the scene.

While official accounts point towards a burglary gone wrong, the 47-year-old’s death comes amid a string of members of the Russian elite being found dead in mysterious circumstances over the past year, including scientists and businessmen.

ICR’s Moscow division released a statement claiming the 29-year-old assailant has been found and confessed to the crime.

“The location of the attacker was established in short order. During the interrogation, he pled guilty and was charged. The defendant has a previous criminal record, as he stood trial on charges of committing a serious crime. In the near future, the investigation plans to petition the court to place the defendant in custody pending trial,” the Investigative Committee said.

The criminal investigation remains ongoing.

Botikov had received an Order of Merit for the Fatherland by Vladimir Putin in 2021 for his work on the viral-vector Sputnik V COVID vaccine, which was the first COVID-19 vaccine to be released.

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