VIENNA, April 9. /TASS/. A contract to ship the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Austria is almost ready but "dirty games" are being played around the topic of supplies of the Russian vaccine to Europe, Russian Ambassador to Austria Dmitry Lyubinsky said on Friday.

"There are problems with supplies of other vaccines and we are ready to help Austria. But dirty games are being played around this topic. Interests of giant pharmaceutical concerns are involved. Millions and billions are at stake," he said in an interview with Salzburger Nachrichten.

According to the Russian diplomat, if Austria signs a contract next week, it will be able to receive first batches of the vaccine by late April. "It may receive one million doses by late June," he noted.

He slammed lobbyism against Sputnik V.

Austria’s Federal Chancellery said in late March that Vienna was in talks with Moscow on possible purchase of one million Sputnik V doses to vaccinate 500,000 people. The vaccine can be received in three takes - in April, May, and June 2021. The sides have already signed a non-disclosure agreement during the exchange of confidential documents.