Bavaria will block the production of Russia’s Sputnik COVID-19 vaccine even if it is approved by the European Medicines Agency, the premier of the German region.

Markus Soeder, premier of the wealthy southeastern German state, said there were no contracts signed to produce the vaccine in Germany nor a European Union approval and added:

But even if both were there, it is inconceivable from our point of view that this project can now be realized. It is over.

Russian pharmaceutical firm R-Pharm set up a production facility in Bavaria to create regional manufacturing capacities in Germany that was expected to produce up to 8-10 million vaccine doses monthly.

Former German health minister Jens Spahn said in April that Germany was negotiating with Russia an advance purchase agreement of its Sputnik V vaccine, which is still pending approval from the European Union.

The start of production, scheduled for January 2022, did not take place.