Russia’s chief state sanitary doctor says the country’s precious bodily fluids must be regulated

Anna Popova, Russia’s chief state sanitary doctor, says the country must introduce the government regulation of biomaterial trafficking, citing “new risks.”

On October 30, Vladimir Putin stated that foreigners are collecting biomaterials across the country. “Why are they going to different ethnic groups and to people living in different geographical locations across the Russian Federation? That’s the question. Why are they doing this? And they’re doing it purposefully and professionally. We’ve become the subject of such strong interest,” Putin told a meeting of the Presidential Human Rights Council.

Pentagon representatives told Meduza that a July 2017 procurement order for biomaterials from Russia is intended for ongoing research on the human musculoskeletal system and for identifying “various biomarkers associated with injuries.” Bo Downey, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson, told Meduza that the research requires two data-sets, the first of which was already provided by an American company. It turns out that this first data-set contained samples collected in Russia, and now the second installment must, as well.