Doctor down
A third Russian doctor has fallen from a hospital window after he filmed a video in which he complained of being forced to work despite contracting coronavirus and facing a shortage of protective equipment.
Alexander Shulepov, 37, is reportedly in critical condition with a fractured skull in a Voronezh region hospital 500 kilometers south of Moscow. Shulepov filmed a second video retracting his earlier claims two days later.
Costly aid
Russia has billed the United States $660,000 for its recent coronavirus aid package that included 45 ventilators, gas masks and household cleaning gloves, which Moscow initially referred to as humanitarian aid, according to ABC News.
In Italy, where Russia had sent another coronavirus aid package that included military doctors, a pro-Putin lawmaker reportedly received a letter from a Russian colleague calling on the West to lift sanctions amid the global pandemic.
Covid in the cabinet
Russian construction minister Vladimir Yakushev was hospitalized with coronavirus a day after the prime minister announced he was infected with the contagion.
The Construction and Housing Minister's deputy was also infected as the steady increase in infections spread to the highest levels of government.
Capital contagion
About 2% of Moscow’s population — or more than 250,000 people — has the coronavirus, the mayor of the Russian capital said on Saturday, citing test results. The city of 12.7 million has confirmed 68,606 cases as of Sunday.
Sobyanin said Moscow was not yet past the peak of its outbreak despite ramping up testing capacity in recent weeks and enacting strict stay-at-home rules and other measures since March 30.
Around 2,000 Moscow doctors have either recovered from or are currently ill with Covid-19, Sobyanin said.
5G arson
Conspiracy theorists who link 5G technology to the coronavirus pandemic burned down a cell tower in the republic of North Ossetia, the head of the North Caucasus region Vyacheslav Bitarov said.
Hundreds of protesters took the streets of North Ossetia’s main city of Vladikavkaz two weeks ago against coronavirus lockdown measures, leading to mass arrests. The region has registered 990 cases as of Sunday, a nearly sevenfold increase since April 20.
Includes reporting from AFP.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
