A Russian scientist close to Vladimir Putin claims the West is plotting to eliminate most of the human race with a virus, sparing only a small elite who will be served by robots.
Mikhail Kovalchuk, head of Russia's Kurchatov nuclear research institute, made the extraordinary remarks while addressing a forum of school teachers in Moscow.
His comments underline the kind of extreme conspiracy theories that critics warn are increasingly shaping Kremlin ideology, according to The Times.
Kovalchuk, 77, alleged that western countries were planning to unleash a deadly disease to reduce the number of people on earth.
He also claimed the West was using LGBT and child-free ideologies to curb populations because robots would soon be able to work better and more effectively.
