The Russian drug manufacturer R-Pharm is also allowed to produce the experimental corona vaccine of AstraZeneca. The Russians have made a deal about this with the British pharmaceutical company.

According to the CEO of the Russian government investment fund, Russia shows that the country does not have to steal a corona vaccine or treatment research at all.

“Nothing needs to be stolen,” said Kirill Dmitriev, who is also involved in coordinating Russia’s vaccine search. “It is all given to Russia.” According to Dmitriev, the Russian deal with the company is intended to supplement, not replace, a home-grown vaccine.

Moscow focuses on that own vaccine in the first instance. The amount of money involved in the deal has not been released.

Russia received strong criticism from the West on Thursday. British, the US and Canadian security agencies reported cyberattacks on laboratories and the UK government on the leakage of sensitive information. In doing so, an accusing finger was pointed at Russia.

The Russian government immediately denied that it had attempted to steal information about the development of a corona vaccine.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is one of the leading candidates in the search for a well-functioning drug against Covid-19, according to the World Health Organization WHO.

Earlier, other European countries, including the Netherlands and Germany, had already signed an agreement with the group for the experimental vaccine.