Russia is close to completing clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine for domestic animals and mink and expects to begin the regulatory approval process in February, according to Russia's agricultural safety watchdog.

The Federal Centre for Animal Health began developing the vaccine in spring after the authorities established the virus could be passed from humans onto some domestic animals.

Russia became the first country to give regulatory approval to a human vaccine — Sputnik V — in August, and is in the process of rolling it out across the country. Over 150,000 people have already received it.

"The Russian animal vaccine is aimed at rabbits, mink, cats and some other animals. Clinical trials will end in January and the approval process is likely to begin at the end of February," Yulia Melano, an aide to the head of the agricultural safety watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, told Reuters.