That's after a commercial deal to produce it in Italy was signed by the Moscow based RDF Sovereign Wealth Fund, along with Swiss based pharmaceutical company Addie in an agreement will need approval from Italian regulators before production can be launched.

It's the latest sign that some EU companies don't want to wait for the European Medicines Agency to grant approval.

Scientists have said the Russian vaccine was almost 92% effective based on peer reviewed late stage trial results.

Sputnik V has already been approved or is being assessed for approval in three EU member states Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

EU officials have said Brussels could start negotiations with the vaccine maker if at least four member countries requested.

The Italian Russian Chamber of Commerce said the move paved the way for the creation of the first Sputnik V production facility in Europe.

But a senior Iemma official last week urged EU members to refrain from approving Sputnik V while the agency is still reviewing it.