OREANDA-NEWS. Ukraine will not register the Russian vaccine «Sputnik V» to fight the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus, Health Minister Maxim Stepanov said on Friday, January 29. According to him, «one political force staged some hysteria about the registration» of the drug. At the same time, vaccination in Ukraine will begin in February, as planned, Stepanov assured.

The Ukrainian minister condemned the statements of a number of politicians about «ghostly chances» for the timely start of vaccination. The first stage of the campaign involves vaccinating almost 370 thousand people, the head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health said earlier.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba also spoke out against the use of the Russian vaccine because of the propaganda factor. «As a member of the government, I would oppose such a decision. Because Russia does not care about the health of Ukrainians, it cares about imposing it's propaganda cliches and ideology by supplying vaccines... even if it was effective», Kuleba said on January 12 on the «1+1» TV channel.

In Ukraine, 1 211 593 coronavirus infections were confirmed, 22 479 patients died. Among Russians, the diagnosis was confirmed in 3 813 048 cases, more than 72 000 people died from the effects of infection. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, January 28, signed a decree on new sanctions against Russian citizens and companies.