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Coronavirus pandemic

First batch of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine arrives in Serbia

The packages were delivered to the Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak" in Belgrade

BELGRADE, December 30. /TASS/. The first batch of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine "Sputnik V" has been delivered to Serbia, the Tanjug news agency informed on Wednesday.

The packages were delivered to the Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak" in Belgrade. One of the packages was opened in front of reporters, showing boxes containing the Sputnik V vaccine.

Earlier, Serbian Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar stated that the trials of the Russian vaccine in Serbia are at the final stage and that they will be concluded in the first days of the new year.

On October 24, Serbia launched vaccination with the vaccine developed by the US company Pfizer. Earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia had paid the EU 2 mln euro for the development of the vaccine and then an additional 4.87 mln euro under the COVAX program, however, it received twice as few doses than it ordered: 4,800 instead of 10,000.

On December 4, the first 20 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine arrived in Serbia. They are still being researched by Serbian specialists, who will decide whether the drug can be used to vaccinate the Serbian population.

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IN BRIEF: What Putin said about Russia’s new missile, and Moscow’s response to the West

Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address to the nation on November 21, announcing that in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia, Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time