Russian officials said that they have secured deals for the Sputnik V vaccine to be delivered in countries like India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico andBrazil.
The preliminary agreements with more than 10 countries areset to give Russia "a valuable economic and political leverage"internationally.
According to the Wall Street Journal,?Moscow has received requests or"expressions of interests" from various countries for 1.2 billiondoses of the vaccine.
The vaccines would be manufactured overseas and circulatedglobally as soon as November. However, the shot would require local regulatoryapproval before distribution.
'Sputnik V' was approved by the Russian authorities onAugust 11 even though there was skepticism among the Western countries aboutthe "speed with which it was registered."
According to the Wall Street Journal, Russian researcherscompleted only small-scale tests on 76 volunteers before securing approval.
The data from these early trials had shown that the shot was"safe to use" and generated an immune response, but experts say thatlarge-scale testing trials are necessary to determine the effectiveness of thevaccine.
While Russia is expected to undertake mass vaccinations ofits own population by the end of 2020, China has injected "hundreds ofthousands" of people with its own vaccine.
Experts have raised concerns over the rush to usevaccines - which have not completed testing - as the widespread use ofthe ineffective vaccine could lead to "a renewed spread" of COVID-19.
Also Read:?COVID-19 Vaccine: Russia Signs Deal With Dr Reddy's For Trial & Distribution Of Sputnik V In India
Officials in the US have also indicated that it is unlikelyto use a Russian or a Chinese vaccine, in wake of the doubt over testingprocedures.
Analysts say that Russia can use the vaccine as "a softpower tool" to draw counties in its orbit.
"The view here is that the vaccine could win Russiasome hearts and minds in the non-West and boost its geopoliticalleverage," The Wall Street Journal reported quoting Vladimir Frolov, aformer senior Russian diplomat, and Moscow-based political analyst.
Russia aims to manufacture close to 30 million doses by theend of this year for its own population. It has been hit hard by the pandemicwith over 10 lakh COVID-19 cases (according to Johns Hopkins University).
The Wall Street Journal further reports that Russia is transferring the technology to manufacturing hubs in India, Brazil, and South Korea, from which the vaccine would be distributed.
As per the preliminary agreements, India will receive 100million doses, while Bahia in Brazil will receive 50 million doses, the RussianDirect Investment Fund said. However, Russian officials have not disclosed howmany countries apart from the four that have agreed to the supply accords.
In August, Deputy Prime Minister, Tatiana Golikova, said manycountries "are interested in various forms of cooperation, including jointvaccine development, clinical trials, procurement, domestic production on theirterritory and humanitarian aid."
Russia already announced agreements to conduct clinical testingof the vaccine in the UAE, Saudi Arabia along with Egypt and Belarus. MexicanForeign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said that Mexico wants to take part in thelarge-scale testing of the vaccine with 500-1000 volunteers, but the finaldecision on the test and eventual vaccine approval lies with the healthauthorities.
The US, European Union, Japan, and the UK, according to TheWall Street Journal, have agreed to purchase around 3.7 billion doses of theshot from Western drug makers, which ties up most of the "immediate"global vaccine manufacturing capacity leaving developing nations at risk of being unable to secure the same.
Russian officials state that there is a "strongdemand" for the Russian vaccine from the developing countries.
Also Read: Russia Reportedly Seeking Help From Hyderabad Vaccine Manufacturers To Launch Sputnik V
"We will focus on saving people in Latin America,Middle East and Asia, where most of the requests come from because these peopleare not thinking about politics to stifle Russia and to constrain Russia, butthey want to protect their citizens,"?Kirill Dmitriev,?CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund,?said. "We have people who are begging to have the vaccinebecause they looked into the science and they understand that it works."
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said that thecountry would give priority to Russian and Chinese vaccines because in the Western countries, "it's all (about) profit," he said. Dmitrievsaid that the fund is "only looking to recoup its investment" in thevaccine and not make a profit.
However, Russia has not disclosed the rate it would chargefor the vaccine shot.
All Inputs: ANI