Russian scientist Andrey Botikov, who helped to create the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V, was found dead in his apartment on Thursday in Moscow. He was strangled to death with a belt.,Russian News Agency TASS quoted the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation as saying. The virologist identified as 47-year-old Andrey Botikov was one of the 18 scientists who worked on the Sputnik V vaccine at the Gamaleya National Research Center which was released in 2020. Russian President Vladimir Putin honoured the virologist with the Order of Merit for the Fatherland award for his work on the COVID vaccine in 2021. Botikov was one of 18 scientists who developed the Sputnik V vaccine in 2020, according to reports.
His death is being investigated as a murder, the committee, which is the investigating authority in Russia, said in a Telegram statement. According to investigators, a 29-year-old young man strangled Botikov with a belt during an argument and fled. Law enforcement agencies said the murder was a domestic crime and the result of a conflict, the report said.The suspect was arrested shortly after Botikov’s body was found, the federal investigative agency said in the statement. His death comes in the backdrop of Russian General Vladimir Makarov allegedly committing suicide at his country home last month. Similarly, a Russian business tycoon named Pavel Antov was found dead after he fell out of a hotel window while staying in India. The multi-millionaire was on holiday in the eastern state of Odisha where he was celebrating his 66th birthday.
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