Russia will fail to vaccinate 60 per cent of its population against Covid-19 by the autumn as planned due to sluggish demand for the shots, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov says, after the country recorded its highest number of daily deaths from the virus.

According to Reuters, Russian authorities have blamed a recent surge in Covid-19 cases on the infectious Delta variant, which they say accounts for around 90pc of all new cases, and on the reluctance of many Russians to get vaccinated.

Low uptake, despite free and widely available vaccines, has forced the authorities in some regions to introduce compulsory vaccination for some workers and to create incentives for others such as offering the chance to win a car or an apartment.