The first sign that the Wuhan virus has seriously affected Russian foreign policy appeared today with an article published six hours ago in the liberal business newspaper Vedomosti. Its correspondent, Ivan Safronov, reported that a two day visit to Syria by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu just concluded. The visit was precipitated by the urgent need to forestall any complications arising in Syria at a time when the Russians and the Turks have agreed to extend their temporary joint patrols in Idlib. The correspondent most unusually attributes his information directly to an informal source “close to” the Russian Ministry of Defence – which is undoubtedly a euphemism for the Ministry itself, as Safronov has been reporting on defence matters, Turkey and Syria in particular, for some considerable time; so he something of an insider on such matters.