Asian Tech Press (Mar. 3) -- India's output and exports of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine are expected to slow further amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Citing three Indian pharmaceutical industry sources, Reuters reported that the slowdown is a direct result of U.S. sanctions imposed this week on Russia's sovereign wealth fund over the Ukraine crisis.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which promotes the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine globally, had described India as one of Sputnik's biggeset production centers and markets.

RDIF said the U.S. sanctions could complicate its efforts to promote the Sputnik vaccine, as it has agreements with several Indian companies to produce nearly 1 billion doses of the Russian vaccine.