Mass testing of Russia's first potential Covid-19 vaccine to get domestic regulatory approval will involve more than 40,000 people and will be overseen by a foreign research body when it starts next week, Reuters reported.

Russia's early registration of the vaccine will permit it to begin administering it to people in high risk groups, such as healthcare workers, alongside the late-stage trial, from October, said Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) that is backing the vaccine.

He said the process would be conducted on a voluntary basis and participants would have regular medical check ups.

The trial itself will be supervised by a foreign clinical research organisation, Dmitriev said, ensuring the data collection is fully in line with international standards. He did not give details of the research organisation.