themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--Russian Hospitals Near Capacity With Coronavirus Patients

“ To date , hospital bed occupancy is almost 90 % , ” Deputy Health Minister Oleg Gridnev was quoted as saying at a conference by Interfax .
Russian hospitals are near capacity with coronavirus patients as new infections break records and authorities attempt to slow the second wave of the virus , a top health official said Tuesday .
Gridnev said one-fifth of those hospitalized have a mild case of Covid-19 .
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Wednesday that Russia currently has 176,000 hospital beds for coronavirus patients , with 9,000 reserve beds .
He said two-thirds of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen its daily caseload nearly triple in the past month and set a new record Tuesday for both deaths ( 244 ) and infections ( 13,868 ) , according to official statistics .
Overall , Russia has confirmed almost 23,000 deaths and more than 1.3 million cases , the fourth-highest caseload in the world .
The latest surge in Covid-19 infections has prompted a number of hospitals across the country to stop admitting patients with other illnesses .
Around half of Russia ’ s regions have reinstated various restrictions in an attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow , the epicenter of Russia ’ s Covid-19 outbreak with almost 340,000 total infections , has ordered businesses to switch 30 % of their employees to remote work and extended the fall school break .
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has urged residents to continue to take precautions before the rollout of a coronavirus vaccine .
He said this week would prove crucial in determining whether the city 's current “ light ” restrictions would effectively limit a rise in new Covid-19 cases .
Sobyanin claimed Wednesday that the restrictions proved effective , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 % to 11 % in recent days .
Next week , he said first-to-fifth graders will be able to return to school while the rest will continue distance learning for at least two more weeks .

“To date, hospital bed occupancy is almost 90%,” Deputy Health Minister Oleg Gridnev was quoted as saying at a conference by Interfax.
Russian hospitals are near capacity with coronavirus patients as new infections break records and authorities attempt to slow the second wave of the virus, a top health official said Tuesday.
Gridnev said one-fifth of those hospitalized have a mild case of Covid-19.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Wednesday that Russia currently has 176,000 hospital beds for coronavirus patients, with 9,000 reserve beds. He said two-thirds of those infected receive outpatient care.
Russia has seen its daily caseload nearly triple in the past month and set a new record Tuesday for both deaths (244) and infections (13,868), according to official statistics. Overall, Russia has confirmed almost 23,000 deaths and more than 1.3 million cases, the fourth-highest caseload in the world.
The latest surge in Covid-19 infections has prompted a number of hospitals across the country to stop admitting patients with other illnesses.
Around half of Russia’s regions have reinstated various restrictions in an attempt to slow the spread of the infection.
Moscow, the epicenter of Russia’s Covid-19 outbreak with almost 340,000 total infections, has ordered businesses to switch 30% of their employees to remote work and extended the fall school break.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has urged residents to continue to take precautions before the rollout of a coronavirus vaccine. He said this week would prove crucial in determining whether the city's current “light” restrictions would effectively limit a rise in new Covid-19 cases.
Sobyanin claimed Wednesday that the restrictions proved effective, with new infections among children going down from 19% to 11% in recent days. Next week, he said first-to-fifth graders will be able to return to school while the rest will continue distance learning for at least two more weeks.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--Putin, Erdogan Urge 'Joint Efforts' to End Karabakh Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called for international cooperation to end fierce clashes over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan , during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , the Kremlin said .
The two leaders `` stressed the urgent need for joint efforts to end the bloodshed as soon as possible and move to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem , '' according to a Kremlin readout of the call — their first since fighting erupted late last month .
New clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenian separatists over the disputed region have claimed hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite calls for peace and a ceasefire brokered in Moscow last week .
The ex-Soviet countries have been locked in long-simmering deadlock over Karabakh , which broke away from Azerbaijan after a war in the 1990s that left some 30,000 dead .
The new fighting , the worst since a 1994 ceasefire , has sparked fears of a regional conflict , with Turkey backing Azerbaijan and Armenia seeking to pull ex-Soviet ally Russia in on its side .
Turkey has been widely accused of sending pro-Ankara fighters from Syria to the fight in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putin on Wednesday voiced `` serious concern '' over the role of militants from the Middle East in the conflict .
Erdogan told Putin that `` Turkey is in favour of a permanent solution in Nagorno-Karabakh '' and also accused Armenia of `` seeking to make its occupation [ of Karabakh ] permanent . ''
Co-chaired by France , Russia and the United States , the OSCE Minsk Group has worked to find a resolution to the decades-long conflict , and the Kremlin said Wednesday that Putin and Erdogan hope Turkey will play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member .
Ongoing shelling by both sides has left a ceasefire agreed last week in Moscow hanging in the balance , but `` both sides confirmed the importance of observing the humanitarian truce , '' the Kremlin said .

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called for international cooperation to end fierce clashes over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan, during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin said.
The two leaders "stressed the urgent need for joint efforts to end the bloodshed as soon as possible and move to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem," according to a Kremlin readout of the call — their first since fighting erupted late last month.
New clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenian separatists over the disputed region have claimed hundreds of lives, including dozens of civilians despite calls for peace and a ceasefire brokered in Moscow last week.
The ex-Soviet countries have been locked in long-simmering deadlock over Karabakh, which broke away from Azerbaijan after a war in the 1990s that left some 30,000 dead.
The new fighting, the worst since a 1994 ceasefire, has sparked fears of a regional conflict, with Turkey backing Azerbaijan and Armenia seeking to pull ex-Soviet ally Russia in on its side.
Turkey has been widely accused of sending pro-Ankara fighters from Syria to the fight in Karabakh to bolster Azerbaijan's troops and Putin on Wednesday voiced "serious concern" over the role of militants from the Middle East in the conflict.
Erdogan told Putin that "Turkey is in favour of a permanent solution in Nagorno-Karabakh" and also accused Armenia of "seeking to make its occupation [of Karabakh] permanent."
Co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States, the OSCE Minsk Group has worked to find a resolution to the decades-long conflict, and the Kremlin said Wednesday that Putin and Erdogan hope Turkey will play a role towards de-escalation as a permanent member.
Ongoing shelling by both sides has left a ceasefire agreed last week in Moscow hanging in the balance, but "both sides confirmed the importance of observing the humanitarian truce," the Kremlin said.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--Russian Photographer Wins Top Wildlife Photo Award With Amur Tiger Snapshot

Gorshkov ’ s winning photo titled “ The Embrace ” shows an Amur tigress scent-marking an ancient fir tree in the Land of the Leopard National Park in Russia ’ s Far East .
It beat out 49,000 other photos that were submitted to this year ’ s competition .
Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov has claimed the top prize in this year ’ s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition with his photo of an Amur tiger , the British Natural History Museum announced Wednesday .
“ It ’ s a scene like no other , a unique glimpse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forest , ” the chair of the judging panel Roz Kidman Cox told the Natural History Museum .
Amur tigers , also called Siberian tigers , are the world ’ s largest tiger subspecies and are native to the Russian Far East , northeastern China and North Korea .
Once hunted for their exquisite fur , the tigers are now under threat of extinction .
Only about 500 of these big cats live in eastern Russia today , making the photograph a particularly unique catch .
Gorshkov was able to take the photograph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who guided him to a tree marked with tiger hair , odor and claw marks .
He left his camera equipped with motion-sensor equipment near the tree for several months .
The rangers later identified the animal as tigress number T41F by her unique stripe pattern .
Gorshkov is a world-renowned wildlife photographer from Siberia and a founder of the Russian Union of Wildlife Photographers .
More images from this year ’ s Wildlife Photographer awards can be found here .

Gorshkov’s winning photo titled “The Embrace” shows an Amur tigress scent-marking an ancient fir tree in the Land of the Leopard National Park in Russia’s Far East. It beat out 49,000 other photos that were submitted to this year’s competition.
Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov has claimed the top prize in this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition with his photo of an Amur tiger, the British Natural History Museum announced Wednesday.
“It’s a scene like no other, a unique glimpse of an intimate moment deep in a magical forest,” the chair of the judging panel Roz Kidman Cox told the Natural History Museum.
Amur tigers, also called Siberian tigers, are the world’s largest tiger subspecies and are native to the Russian Far East, northeastern China and North Korea. Once hunted for their exquisite fur, the tigers are now under threat of extinction. Only about 500 of these big cats live in eastern Russia today, making the photograph a particularly unique catch.
Gorshkov was able to take the photograph with the help of park rangers, who guided him to a tree marked with tiger hair, odor and claw marks. He left his camera equipped with motion-sensor equipment near the tree for several months. The rangers later identified the animal as tigress number T41F by her unique stripe pattern.
Gorshkov is a world-renowned wildlife photographer from Siberia and a founder of the Russian Union of Wildlife Photographers.
More images from this year’s Wildlife Photographer awards can be found here.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-15--2 in 3 Medics Say Russia Unprepared for Second Coronavirus Wave – Poll

Russia is the world ’ s fourth-most affected country with more than 1.35 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 .
Its number of new coronavirus cases has nearly tripled from around 5,000 to a new record of over 14,000 in the course of a month .
Around two-thirds of Russian medics believe that the country is not ready for a second wave of the coronavirus , according to a survey published by the VTimes news website Thursday .
According to a survey by the Doctor at Work physicians network cited by VTimes , 76 % of regional medics and 57.3 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare system is unprepared for the second wave .
When asked to specify what contributes to the lack of preparedness , an overwhelming majority ( 84 % ) said that Russian hospitals are understaffed , according to VTimes .
The doctors also pointed to a lack of equipment including CT scanners and ventilators , hospital beds , as well as medicine and protective equipment .
When Doctor at Work asked the healthcare professionals whether they trust Russia ’ s official Covid-19 statistics , 74 % said they don ’ t ( 85 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow ) , VTimes reported .
The survey noted that 42.7 % of medics in Moscow believe Russia ’ s healthcare system is prepared for the second wave , a view shared by 24 % of their colleagues in the regions .
“ Doctor at Work ” conducted the survey among 789 healthcare professionals , 143 of them in Moscow and the rest across Russia ’ s regions , from Oct. 5-9 .

Russia is the world’s fourth-most affected country with more than 1.35 million confirmed cases of Covid-19. Its number of new coronavirus cases has nearly tripled from around 5,000 to a new record of over 14,000 in the course of a month.
Around two-thirds of Russian medics believe that the country is not ready for a second wave of the coronavirus, according to a survey published by the VTimes news website Thursday.
According to a survey by the Doctor at Work physicians network cited by VTimes, 76% of regional medics and 57.3% of Moscow medics say Russia’s healthcare system is unprepared for the second wave.
When asked to specify what contributes to the lack of preparedness, an overwhelming majority (84%) said that Russian hospitals are understaffed, according to VTimes. The doctors also pointed to a lack of equipment including CT scanners and ventilators, hospital beds, as well as medicine and protective equipment.
When Doctor at Work asked the healthcare professionals whether they trust Russia’s official Covid-19 statistics, 74% said they don’t (85% in the regions and 63% in Moscow), VTimes reported.
The survey noted that 42.7% of medics in Moscow believe Russia’s healthcare system is prepared for the second wave, a view shared by 24% of their colleagues in the regions.
“Doctor at Work” conducted the survey among 789 healthcare professionals, 143 of them in Moscow and the rest across Russia’s regions, from Oct. 5-9.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-15--Russia Suspends Aid Until Kyrgyzstan ‘Stabilizes’ – RBC

The Kyrgyz government , a Russian ally , has been paralyzed since protesters chased out its president following disputed parliamentary elections on Oct. 4 .
The president announced his resignation Thursday after authorities annulled the vote , but tensions continued for more than a week in a growing power struggle between his allies turned sworn enemies .
Russia has suspended its financial assistance to the cash-strapped Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan until political stability is restored there , the RBC news website reported Wednesday , citing a Finance Ministry source and another federal official .
“ Given the current situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been suspended until the political situation in the country stabilizes and the functioning of the authorities is restored , ” RBC quoted an unnamed Russian official as saying .
The report did not name the amount that Russia , which has since 2005 written off at least $ 700 million of Kyrgyzstan ’ s state debt , will withhold from the former Soviet republic .
Moscow last year allocated $ 30 million in financial grants to Bishkek , which RBC reported amount to $ 250 million since 2012 .
Russia and Kyrgyzstan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade and investment deals in 2019 .
Russia also controls most capital in the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development ( EFSD ) , which RBC reports granted a $ 100 million loan to Kyrgyzstan in August .
The Kremlin said Thursday that pausing financial aid “ makes sense ” until government agencies and ministries resume normal work in Kyrgyzstan .
President Vladimir Putin ’ s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia endorses any steps toward stabilization and maintains diplomatic-level contacts with Kyrgyzstan since the president ’ s resignation .
The Kyrgyz president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newly installed prime minister met with Putin ’ s deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak , who oversees integration processes in the post-Soviet space .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov underscored the need for stability in a phone call with his Kyrgyz colleague Thursday .

The Kyrgyz government, a Russian ally, has been paralyzed since protesters chased out its president following disputed parliamentary elections on Oct. 4. The president announced his resignation Thursday after authorities annulled the vote, but tensions continued for more than a week in a growing power struggle between his allies turned sworn enemies.
Russia has suspended its financial assistance to the cash-strapped Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan until political stability is restored there, the RBC news website reported Wednesday, citing a Finance Ministry source and another federal official.
“Given the current situation in the Kyrgyz Republic, financial assistance has been suspended until the political situation in the country stabilizes and the functioning of the authorities is restored,” RBC quoted an unnamed Russian official as saying.
The report did not name the amount that Russia, which has since 2005 written off at least $700 million of Kyrgyzstan’s state debt, will withhold from the former Soviet republic.
Moscow last year allocated $30 million in financial grants to Bishkek, which RBC reported amount to $250 million since 2012. Russia and Kyrgyzstan also signed $6 billion worth of trade and investment deals in 2019.
Russia also controls most capital in the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), which RBC reports granted a $100 million loan to Kyrgyzstan in August.
The Kremlin said Thursday that pausing financial aid “makes sense” until government agencies and ministries resume normal work in Kyrgyzstan.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia endorses any steps toward stabilization and maintains diplomatic-level contacts with Kyrgyzstan since the president’s resignation. The Kyrgyz president’s office said Tuesday that he and the newly installed prime minister met with Putin’s deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak, who oversees integration processes in the post-Soviet space.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov underscored the need for stability in a phone call with his Kyrgyz colleague Thursday.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-15--Oxygen Supply Fails on Russian Segment of ISS, Crew Not in Danger

The oxygen supply system on the Zvezda module on the orbital lab failed late on Wednesday but a second system on the American segment is operating normally , a Roscosmos spokesperson told AFP .
The oxygen supply system has failed in a module on the Russian segment of the International Space Station ( ISS ) but the crew is in no danger , Russian space agency Roscosmos said Thursday .
`` Nothing threatens the security of the crew and the ISS , '' said the spokesperson , adding this repair work to fix the issue would be carried out on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new crew — two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut — reached the ISS on Wednesday to bring the number of current crew on board to six .
The problem is the latest incident on the ISS — whose first module was launched over two decades ago in 1998 — after the crew in August detected an air leak on board .
Roscosmos emphasized at the time that the leak was not significant and posed no danger .
But part of the problem was detecting precisely where it came from .
The crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source of of the leak .
The Roscosmos spokesperson said that they would receive precise instructions from mission control to carry out future work on the problem .
Quoted by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency , veteran Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka said that the Russian equipment aboard the ISS was well past its use-by date .
`` All modules of the Russian segment are exhausted , '' said Padalka , who holds the world record for most days spent in space .
He added that the equipment should only be used for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades old .

The oxygen supply system on the Zvezda module on the orbital lab failed late on Wednesday but a second system on the American segment is operating normally, a Roscosmos spokesperson told AFP.
The oxygen supply system has failed in a module on the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) but the crew is in no danger, Russian space agency Roscosmos said Thursday.
"Nothing threatens the security of the crew and the ISS," said the spokesperson, adding this repair work to fix the issue would be carried out on Thursday.
The issue arose after three new crew — two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut — reached the ISS on Wednesday to bring the number of current crew on board to six.
The problem is the latest incident on the ISS — whose first module was launched over two decades ago in 1998 — after the crew in August detected an air leak on board.
Roscosmos emphasized at the time that the leak was not significant and posed no danger. But part of the problem was detecting precisely where it came from.
The crew believe that they have now found the source of of the leak. The Roscosmos spokesperson said that they would receive precise instructions from mission control to carry out future work on the problem.
Quoted by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency, veteran Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka said that the Russian equipment aboard the ISS was well past its use-by date.
"All modules of the Russian segment are exhausted," said Padalka, who holds the world record for most days spent in space. He added that the equipment should only be used for 15 years whereas it was now two decades old.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-15--Moscow to Launch Coronavirus Check-In System for Bars, Nightclubs

Starting Oct. 19 , all visitors of establishments operating between midnight and 6 a.m. will be required to scan a QR code or send a text message to a designated number prior to entering the venue , said the announcement on Sobyanin ’ s website .
Moscow partygoers will be required to register their phone numbers before they can enter bars , nightclubs and other late-night establishments , Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Thursday as the city sees a renewed rise in coronavirus cases .
“ In case one of the visitors is diagnosed with coronavirus , this system will allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they are at risk and must promptly get tested for Covid-19 , ” Sobyanin said .
Given current rates of infection in Russia ’ s capital , city authorities have “ every reason ” to order bars and clubs to close down like they did in the spring , Sobyanin said .
This system was developed as an alternative to closing them given their importance in the local economy , he said .
The mayor ’ s statement didn ’ t give further details such as where individuals should register their phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s first wave in April , Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin had ordered the development of a contact-tracing app using cellphone geolocation data , but no wider-reaching system has been rolled out since .
Nightclubs , where it ’ s nearly impossible to enforce mask-wearing or social distancing , are viewed as prime spots for the virus ’ spread .
Late last month , British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered all pubs and restaurants in England to close at 10 p.m. in an effort to combat a rise in infections .
In South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handling of the initial Covid-19 outbreak , a flare-up of infections in May was linked to a Covid-positive partygoer who allegedly infected at least 100 people in one night .
Russia ’ s official number of coronavirus cases reached 1,354,163 on Thursday .

Starting Oct. 19, all visitors of establishments operating between midnight and 6 a.m. will be required to scan a QR code or send a text message to a designated number prior to entering the venue, said the announcement on Sobyanin’s website.
Moscow partygoers will be required to register their phone numbers before they can enter bars, nightclubs and other late-night establishments, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Thursday as the city sees a renewed rise in coronavirus cases.
“In case one of the visitors is diagnosed with coronavirus, this system will allow us to quickly notify all other guests that they are at risk and must promptly get tested for Covid-19,” Sobyanin said.
Given current rates of infection in Russia’s capital, city authorities have “every reason” to order bars and clubs to close down like they did in the spring, Sobyanin said. This system was developed as an alternative to closing them given their importance in the local economy, he said.
The mayor’s statement didn’t give further details such as where individuals should register their phone numbers.
At the height of Russia’s first wave in April, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin had ordered the development of a contact-tracing app using cellphone geolocation data, but no wider-reaching system has been rolled out since.
Nightclubs, where it’s nearly impossible to enforce mask-wearing or social distancing, are viewed as prime spots for the virus’ spread.
Late last month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered all pubs and restaurants in England to close at 10 p.m. in an effort to combat a rise in infections.
In South Korea, often praised for its effective handling of the initial Covid-19 outbreak, a flare-up of infections in May was linked to a Covid-positive partygoer who allegedly infected at least 100 people in one night.
Russia’s official number of coronavirus cases reached 1,354,163 on Thursday.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-15--EU Sanctions FSB Chief, Senior Kremlin Officials Over Navalny Poisoning

The EU banned travel and froze the assets of FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov , as well as President Vladimir Putin ’ s first deputy chief of staff Sergei Kiriyenko and the Kremlin ’ s head of domestic policy Andrei Yarin .
The European Union has slapped sanctions on senior Kremlin officials and the head of Russia ’ s Federal Security Service ( FSB ) over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny , according to a decision published on the EU ’ s legal portal Thursday .
Brussels imposed the same measures on Russian deputy defense ministers Pavel Popov and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s envoy in Siberia where Navalny fell violently ill in August .
Navalny was medevaced to Germany , where the government said its military scientists determined that he was poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent .
The global chemical weapons watchdog later said it found a previously unknown strain of Novichok in Navalny ’ s samples .
The EU has also sanctioned the Russian State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology ( GosNIIOKhT ) , which it said was behind the development of Novichok and other chemical weapons .
Ambassadors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions after France and Germany proposed measures last week , saying Russia was responsible for the poisoning .
The Kremlin denies its role .
`` The EU with this step has harmed relations with our country , '' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters following the EU 's announcement , describing the measure as a `` consciously unfriendly step '' on the part of the EU and vowing Russia would retaliate .
Paris and Berlin said last week they wanted to target individuals `` based on their official function '' and an entity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' European powers have repeatedly asked Moscow to investigate the poisoning , but in a joint statement last week the French and German foreign ministers said the Kremlin had come up with `` no credible explanation.
” Russia ’ s foreign minister said Wednesday that EU sanctions “ will not go without consequences ” as international media identified their possible Russian targets this week .

The EU banned travel and froze the assets of FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov, as well as President Vladimir Putin’s first deputy chief of staff Sergei Kiriyenko and the Kremlin’s head of domestic policy Andrei Yarin.
The European Union has slapped sanctions on senior Kremlin officials and the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to a decision published on the EU’s legal portal Thursday.
Brussels imposed the same measures on Russian deputy defense ministers Pavel Popov and Alexei Krivoruchko, as well as Putin’s envoy in Siberia where Navalny fell violently ill in August.
The sanctions enter into force Thursday.
Navalny was medevaced to Germany, where the government said its military scientists determined that he was poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent. The global chemical weapons watchdog later said it found a previously unknown strain of Novichok in Navalny’s samples.
The EU has also sanctioned the Russian State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT), which it said was behind the development of Novichok and other chemical weapons.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed "Putin's chef" because his company has done catering for the Kremlin, was sanctioned for undermining peace in Libya by supporting the Wagner Group private military company which is active there.
Prigozhin, a wealthy tycoon close to Putin, is already under U.S. sanctions over his links to the Wagner mercenary outfit, which has been accused of interfering in various conflicts around Africa.
Ambassadors from the 27 EU countries approved the sanctions after France and Germany proposed measures last week, saying Russia was responsible for the poisoning. The Kremlin denies its role.
"The EU with this step has harmed relations with our country," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters following the EU's announcement, describing the measure as a "consciously unfriendly step" on the part of the EU and vowing Russia would retaliate.
Paris and Berlin said last week they wanted to target individuals "based on their official function" and an entity "involved in the Novichok program."
European powers have repeatedly asked Moscow to investigate the poisoning, but in a joint statement last week the French and German foreign ministers said the Kremlin had come up with "no credible explanation.”
Russia’s foreign minister said Wednesday that EU sanctions “will not go without consequences” as international media identified their possible Russian targets this week.
AFP contributed reporting.