Senior Russian Sputnik V vaccine researcher strangled to death in Moscow
According to state news agency TASS, Botikov was murdered during an argument and the defendant, Alexey Vladimirovich Zmanovsky, fled the scene before being apprehended by law enforcement.
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- Published Date: 07:11 | 08 March 2023
- Modified Date: 07:22 | 08 March 2023
On Friday, a man pleaded guilty to killing Andrey Botikov, a senior researcher at the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, who was responsible for developing the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.
According to state news agency TASS, Botikov was murdered during an argument and the defendant, Alexey Vladimirovich Zmanovsky, fled the scene before being apprehended by law enforcement.
Zmanovsky, who has a history of "serious crimes," could face up to 15 years in prison. The murder is said to be a result of a domestic dispute, according to TASS.
Botikov was among 18 scientists who developed the Sputnik V vaccine in 2020, and Russian President Vladimir Putin honored him with the Order of Merit for the Fatherland award in 2021.