themoscowtimes--2020-05-29--Moscow Doubles Coronavirus-Linked Death Count Amid Scrutiny

The city ’ s health department said Thursday that 1,753 more people died in April than on average in the past three years .
Covid-19 directly caused 636 of those deaths , the Moscow Health Department said in a statement .
Moscow health authorities have more than doubled the city ’ s April death count from coronavirus or related cases as questions continue to surround Russia ’ s comparatively low mortality rate .
It has added to its toll 756 coronavirus patients who died of other causes as well as 169 deaths of non-coronavirus patients whose autopsies showed coronavirus as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 deaths would place Moscow ’ s toll for April at 1,561 , leaving 192 unexplained fatalities from that month 's excess deaths .
“ We ’ re dealing with that figure and are establishing all its possible causes , ” the health department said .
Moscow ’ s Health Department stressed that its updated death rate of between 1.4 % and 2.8 % , depending on the methodology , was still lower than in London and New York .
The update follows weeks of questions surrounding Russia ’ s relatively low Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fastest growth in infections .
Major Western outlets faced accusations of spreading fake news after reporting that Russia ’ s coronavirus-related deaths could be 70 % higher than officially confirmed .
Moscow officials had defended the accuracy of their data , saying they excluded more than 60 % of deaths among coronavirus patients from the city ’ s official virus toll because they were determined to have come from other causes .
Russia has the world 's third-largest number of confirmed cases at 387,623 .
Moscow , a city of 12.7 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia ’ s 4,374 deaths .
Moscow ’ s Health Department said coronavirus deaths would spike in May , around two to three weeks after infections peaked in late April .
“ We ’ ll also analyze these indicators and publish them in the open , ” it said .
Moscow officials told BBC Russia that they expect other regions to update their coronavirus death counts based on the new methodology .
Currently , Russia only counts the deaths of coronavirus-positive patients toward its total if pathologists say the virus played a direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Health Ministry announced Wednesday that it would no longer include asymptomatic coronavirus patients in its daily count of new infections and deaths .

The city’s health department said Thursday that 1,753 more people died in April than on average in the past three years. Covid-19 directly caused 636 of those deaths, the Moscow Health Department said in a statement.
Moscow health authorities have more than doubled the city’s April death count from coronavirus or related cases as questions continue to surround Russia’s comparatively low mortality rate.
It has added to its toll 756 coronavirus patients who died of other causes as well as 169 deaths of non-coronavirus patients whose autopsies showed coronavirus as their likely cause.
The 925 additional Covid-19 deaths would place Moscow’s toll for April at 1,561, leaving 192 unexplained fatalities from that month's excess deaths.
“We’re dealing with that figure and are establishing all its possible causes,” the health department said.
Moscow’s Health Department stressed that its updated death rate of between 1.4% and 2.8%, depending on the methodology, was still lower than in London and New York.
The update follows weeks of questions surrounding Russia’s relatively low Covid-19 death toll despite it having Europe’s fastest growth in infections. Major Western outlets faced accusations of spreading fake news after reporting that Russia’s coronavirus-related deaths could be 70% higher than officially confirmed.
Moscow officials had defended the accuracy of their data, saying they excluded more than 60% of deaths among coronavirus patients from the city’s official virus toll because they were determined to have come from other causes.
Russia has the world's third-largest number of confirmed cases at 387,623. Moscow, a city of 12.7 million, accounts for more than half of Russia’s 4,374 deaths.
Moscow’s Health Department said coronavirus deaths would spike in May, around two to three weeks after infections peaked in late April.
“We’ll also analyze these indicators and publish them in the open,” it said.
Moscow officials told BBC Russia that they expect other regions to update their coronavirus death counts based on the new methodology. Currently, Russia only counts the deaths of coronavirus-positive patients toward its total if pathologists say the virus played a direct role in their deaths.
Russia’s Health Ministry announced Wednesday that it would no longer include asymptomatic coronavirus patients in its daily count of new infections and deaths.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-29--Russia Wants to Spark a Domestic Tourism Boom. Will It Work?

The Russian government has swung into action to encourage its citizens to holiday at home this summer in a bid to kick-start the coronavirus-battered domestic tourism industry and ensure that people spend their rubles in Russia .
In a string of speeches earlier this week , the authorities announced they would start lifting tourism restrictions — with some health resorts around the Black Sea able to reopen June 1 — and advised Russians to ditch their foreign holidays and travel around Russia instead .
“ We remember that the coronavirus was imported from abroad , ” prime minister Mikhail Mishustin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April , said in a televised address Monday .
“ Therefore , we consider it best to refrain from tourist trips abroad .
For a few days of vacation , you might pay too high a price .
It is better and safer to spend your holiday in our country.
” Anna Popova , the head of Rospotrebnadzor , Russia ’ s health watchdog which is marshalling the country ’ s response to the pandemic , spoke in stronger terms just a few minutes later in a separate press conference .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment .
Right now , 100,000 new Covid-19 cases are being registered in the world every day .
… Even if you do take the risk , upon returning to Russia , you will need to spend two weeks at home in quarantine — at your own expense.
” The government , which has not yet set a date for reopening the country ’ s borders , hopes it is not too late to save the summer season and stem the losses .
Russia ’ s federal tourist agency , Rostourism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 4.3 billion ) hit per quarter from travel restrictions .
Alongside warning Russians not to go abroad , the state has started promoting domestic holiday destinations in addresses usually reserved for public health updates and announcements of new mobility restrictions or government support .
Immediately after Popova ’ s warning over the unpaid self-isolation Russians face if they head overseas , Rostourism spokesperson Zarina Doguzova reeled off 43 stay-at-home holiday ideas , from beaches in Crimea and Sochi through lakes and forests in Karelia to the wilds of Kamchatka .
“ Less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .
This is a special time for all of us .
A time of new impressions , emotions and trips … I hope that very soon we will be able to travel around Russia , ” she said .
Tour agents are hopeful a push from the top could help revive an industry on the brink .
Signs of life are creeping back .
The Aviasales website reports airline ticket bookings are up 43 % in May compared with April .
The number of domestic flights should reach 50 % of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at VTB Capital forecast , and tour agents say enquiries and bookings are growing week-by-week .
“ In April we were only issuing refunds for failed tours .
From the beginning of May we saw interest in travel return ... Now people are more confident in making bookings , and believe that they will be able to make a trip in July or August , ” Yulia Grigoryeva , director of Russia Discovery told The Moscow Times .
“ If the restrictions on entry and the ability to move around the country are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that the summer tourist season can be very successful , ” she added .
The recovery is slow , however .
Compared with last year , data from Sberbank shows flight sales are down 85 % .
Hotels , tourist attractions and beaches are still closed across the country .
When they open , it will be with strict rules to curb the spread of the virus , including regular tests on staff , social distancing guidelines , temperature checks and possible quarantining of guests .
“ There is demand , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What happens in Krasnodar will be important , ” AnexTour ’ s Alena Khitrova told The Moscow Times , referencing the limited reopening of around 200 medical resorts in the Black Sea region from June 1 .
Beaches will remain closed , however , and guests must stay in their resorts .
Hotels have been instructed to “ control the movement of their guests.
” If restrictions are further lifted , it is areas like Krasnodar — which includes Sochi — and Crimea that are in the best positions to entice more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every reason to believe that everything will be booked in the traditionally popular areas — Krasnodar and Crimea , ” an Aviasales spokesperson said .
Almost a quarter of all flight bookings for June are from Moscow or St. Petersburg to Crimea , travel agent Tutu.Ru reported .
Russia is still registering more than 8,000 new coronavirus cases a day , with areas outside the capital accounting for a growing portion of new infections .
Krasnodar has recorded nearly 4,000 cases of coronavirus — more than Greece — with 1,000 patients still ill. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition to a hasty reopening .
“ We are afraid of visitors , ” biologist Olga Parshina said , calling for the city to be closed until the coronavirus threat has completely passed .
Others questioned the point of a partial reopening if strict restrictions are in place , meaning local restaurants and shops will see little benefit .
Russia ’ s resort towns are now facing an intense localized version of one of the biggest policy dilemmas caused by the coronavirus : the trade-off between containing the spread of the virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doguzova said a revival in internal tourism “ could become one of the main drivers for the restoration and development of regional economies.
” The head of Crimea , Sergei Aksyonov , has asked Moscow to grant the annexed peninsula sweeping exemptions from new health regulations designed to contain the coronavirus .
“ It is necessary to completely abolish mandatory testing for coronavirus — both for resort staff and guests , ” Aksyonov wrote on his Vkontakte page Thursday .
He also said hotels which do find positive coronavirus cases among guests or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that resorts should not have to enforce social distancing rules on beaches .
Assessing the possibility of incoming tourists sparking a new wave of infections , Vasiliy Vlassov , epidemiologist at Moscow ’ s Higher School of Economics said internal travel was not necessarily a danger .
“ But because the provincial population is more infection-naive , there is some danger that increased internal tourism will bring a rise in incidence.
” Russia ’ s insistence that it is not safe to travel abroad — including to Europe , where countries have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actively promoting internal tourism also harks back to the authority ’ s earlier “ xeniophobic ” response to the pandemic , Vlassov says .
“ The Russian government has all the time behaved like the infection is beyond the border , and Russia is sterile , ” he said .
Outside of places already popular with Russian holidaymakers , hopes for a revival are less optimistic .
Cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow are more dependent on international visitors than the Black Sea resorts , which attract mainly domestic vacationers .
Domestic tourism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the wider economy .
With disposable incomes set for a sharp shock , one in three Russians have changed their summer holiday plans , state pollsters VTsIOM said this week .
Yet only 11 % said they planned to travel around Russia this year — in line with recent years .
That was despite numbers saying they plan to go abroad falling from 13 % to 4 % .
Nevertheless , travel agents report that demand for foreign travel remains high , and doubt whether those who had a foreign vacation planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
“ Many tourists remain hopeful that Russia will open its borders , so they are continuing to book European holidays — just for later dates , such as August , ” said Kamila Velibekova , owner of luxury travel agent KtoWay .
Instead of ditching overseas holidays , wealthy Russians are instead turning to private yachts or secluded European retreats , in a bid to stay isolated from virus hotspots , she told The Moscow Times .
Those planning trips to exotic locations such as southeast Asia — popular in winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a summer vacation in Russia , agents said .
Olga Bortnikova , founder of YouTravel.me , a Russian platform focusing on adventure tours , said almost half the requests she receives are still for foreign travel .
Iceland , which plans to open its borders on June 15 , is particularly popular right now among her Russian clients .
“ Interest in foreign holidays is still very high , ” said Velibekova .
“ This is the mentality of Russians — they don ’ t give up .
”

The Russian government has swung into action to encourage its citizens to holiday at home this summer in a bid to kick-start the coronavirus-battered domestic tourism industry and ensure that people spend their rubles in Russia. In a string of speeches earlier this week, the authorities announced they would start lifting tourism restrictions — with some health resorts around the Black Sea able to reopen June 1 — and advised Russians to ditch their foreign holidays and travel around Russia instead. “We remember that the coronavirus was imported from abroad,” prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, who was hospitalized with Covid-19 in April, said in a televised address Monday. “Therefore, we consider it best to refrain from tourist trips abroad. For a few days of vacation, you might pay too high a price. It is better and safer to spend your holiday in our country.” Anna Popova, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s health watchdog which is marshalling the country’s response to the pandemic, spoke in stronger terms just a few minutes later in a separate press conference.
“It is extremely undesirable to travel abroad at the moment. Right now, 100,000 new Covid-19 cases are being registered in the world every day. … Even if you do take the risk, upon returning to Russia, you will need to spend two weeks at home in quarantine — at your own expense.” The government, which has not yet set a date for reopening the country’s borders, hopes it is not too late to save the summer season and stem the losses. Russia’s federal tourist agency, Rostourism, previously estimated a 300 billion ruble ($4.3 billion) hit per quarter from travel restrictions. Alongside warning Russians not to go abroad, the state has started promoting domestic holiday destinations in addresses usually reserved for public health updates and announcements of new mobility restrictions or government support. Immediately after Popova’s warning over the unpaid self-isolation Russians face if they head overseas, Rostourism spokesperson Zarina Doguzova reeled off 43 stay-at-home holiday ideas, from beaches in Crimea and Sochi through lakes and forests in Karelia to the wilds of Kamchatka. “Less than a week is left until the summer. This is a special time for all of us. A time of new impressions, emotions and trips … I hope that very soon we will be able to travel around Russia,” she said. Slow recovery Tour agents are hopeful a push from the top could help revive an industry on the brink. Signs of life are creeping back. The Aviasales website reports airline ticket bookings are up 43% in May compared with April. The number of domestic flights should reach 50% of their usual level in June, industry analysts at VTB Capital forecast, and tour agents say enquiries and bookings are growing week-by-week. “In April we were only issuing refunds for failed tours. From the beginning of May we saw interest in travel return ... Now people are more confident in making bookings, and believe that they will be able to make a trip in July or August,” Yulia Grigoryeva, director of Russia Discovery told The Moscow Times. “If the restrictions on entry and the ability to move around the country are lifted in the near future, we believe that the summer tourist season can be very successful,” she added. The recovery is slow, however. Compared with last year, data from Sberbank shows flight sales are down 85%. Hotels, tourist attractions and beaches are still closed across the country. When they open, it will be with strict rules to curb the spread of the virus, including regular tests on staff, social distancing guidelines, temperature checks and possible quarantining of guests.
“There is demand, but there are still a number of restrictions. What happens in Krasnodar will be important,” AnexTour’s Alena Khitrova told The Moscow Times, referencing the limited reopening of around 200 medical resorts in the Black Sea region from June 1. Beaches will remain closed, however, and guests must stay in their resorts. Hotels have been instructed to “control the movement of their guests.” If restrictions are further lifted, it is areas like Krasnodar — which includes Sochi — and Crimea that are in the best positions to entice more tourists this summer. “There is every reason to believe that everything will be booked in the traditionally popular areas — Krasnodar and Crimea,” an Aviasales spokesperson said. Almost a quarter of all flight bookings for June are from Moscow or St. Petersburg to Crimea, travel agent Tutu.Ru reported. But some locals fear a tourist influx. Russia is still registering more than 8,000 new coronavirus cases a day, with areas outside the capital accounting for a growing portion of new infections. Krasnodar has recorded nearly 4,000 cases of coronavirus — more than Greece — with 1,000 patients still ill. Sochi news outlet Caucasian Knot reported local opposition to a hasty reopening. “We are afraid of visitors,” biologist Olga Parshina said, calling for the city to be closed until the coronavirus threat has completely passed. Others questioned the point of a partial reopening if strict restrictions are in place, meaning local restaurants and shops will see little benefit. Second wave Russia’s resort towns are now facing an intense localized version of one of the biggest policy dilemmas caused by the coronavirus: the trade-off between containing the spread of the virus and protecting the economy. Rostourism’s Doguzova said a revival in internal tourism “could become one of the main drivers for the restoration and development of regional economies.” The head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, has asked Moscow to grant the annexed peninsula sweeping exemptions from new health regulations designed to contain the coronavirus. “It is necessary to completely abolish mandatory testing for coronavirus — both for resort staff and guests,” Aksyonov wrote on his Vkontakte page Thursday. He also said hotels which do find positive coronavirus cases among guests or staff should not be put under quarantine and that resorts should not have to enforce social distancing rules on beaches. Assessing the possibility of incoming tourists sparking a new wave of infections, Vasiliy Vlassov, epidemiologist at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics said internal travel was not necessarily a danger. “But because the provincial population is more infection-naive, there is some danger that increased internal tourism will bring a rise in incidence.” Russia’s insistence that it is not safe to travel abroad — including to Europe, where countries have announced plans to reopen borders — while actively promoting internal tourism also harks back to the authority’s earlier “xenophobic” response to the pandemic, Vlassov says. “The Russian government has all the time behaved like the infection is beyond the border, and Russia is sterile,” he said. Outside of places already popular with Russian holidaymakers, hopes for a revival are less optimistic. Cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow are more dependent on international visitors than the Black Sea resorts, which attract mainly domestic vacationers.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-29--‘Accidental’ Opposition Activist Mokhnatkin Dies Aged 66

Russian opposition activist Sergei Mokhnatkin , who alleged abuse during his years in prison , has died after a long @ @ @ @ @ writer Viktor Shenderovich announced Thursday .
An engineer by profession , Mokhnatkin said he stumbled @ @ @ @ @ he attempted to defend a woman being beaten by police during a protest for the @ @ @ @ @ he hadn ’ t been participating in .
He was then twice sentenced for attacking @ @ @ @ @ seven years , where he alleged beatings by prison guards .
He soon became a @ @ @ @ @ in the eyes of opposition activists , who called his name at the mass anti-Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ early 2012 .

Russian opposition activist Sergei Mokhnatkin, who alleged abuse during his years in prison, has died after a long illness at age 66, writer Viktor Shenderovich announced Thursday.
An engineer by profession, Mokhnatkin said he stumbled into activism in 2009 when he attempted to defend a woman being beaten by police during a protest for the right to peaceful assembly which he hadn’t been participating in. He was then twice sentenced for attacking police to jail terms totaling seven years, where he alleged beatings by prison guards.
He soon became a poster child for prison abuse in the eyes of opposition activists, who called his name at the mass anti-Kremlin rallies of late 2011 and early 2012.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-29--Russia Sees Record Coronavirus Deaths as Cases Approach 390K

Authorities have predicted a higher death toll in May compared to last month , attributing this to deaths among patients who were hospitalised during the peak of the epidemic several weeks ago .
Moscow — the worst-hit city in Russia — reported 2,332 new cases .
Officials in the capital on Thursday released details of mortality statistics for April in an effort to quash claims they have been under-reporting deaths to play down the scale of the crisis .
A total of 636 people died due to the coronavirus in Moscow last month , down from the previously reported toll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow 's health department also reported that 756 people had tested positive for the coronavirus but `` died due to other reasons . ''
In 360 of those cases , the virus exacerbated a patient 's underlying health complications , officials said .
On top of that , 169 cases were confirmed through autopsies , even though patients tested negative .
Officials said that based on those figures a total of 1,561 people died in the Russian capital in connection with the coronavirus in April , adding the toll was `` undoubtedly lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York and London .
Russia says its low virus death figures are also down to mass testing which has identified many cases with mild or no symptoms .

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Russia's fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures.
Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms that now allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.
Both events were initially postponed due the epidemic.
Moscow opened cinemas and theaters on Aug. 1. In the capital, masks are mandatory in stores and on public transport but not in the streets.
Several institutes in Russia are working on a coronavirus vaccine.
The Russian Defense Ministry has said it developed a "safe" vaccine following clinical trials on a group of volunteers.
The trials are ongoing, and the Defense Ministry expects clinical trials to be fully completed in the coming weeks.
AFP contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-29--‘Zombie’ Wildfires Threaten Arctic Russia, Scientists Warn

European climate scientists said Wednesday that satellite images “ hinted ” at remnants of last year ’ s blazes returning to the Arctic Circle .
Ground measurements across last summer ’ s wildfire hotspots are needed to confirm the “ zombie ” fire phenomenon , the EU ’ s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service ( CAMS ) said .
Early wildfires caused by a historically warm and snowless winter have ignited concerns of “ zombie ” fires re-emerging across the Russian Arctic , scientists and activists have said .
“ This year has seen an unusually large number of overwintering peat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of Greenpeace Russia ’ s firefighting program , told The Moscow Times .
Embers deep in organic soils such as peat lands can spark into flames weeks , months and even years later — lending them the “ zombie ” moniker .
“ Some have indeed survived in Russia ’ s abnormally snowless winter , ” Kuksin said .
The risk of wildfires increases with hot weather and low humidity , and Europe in particular has seen record temperatures for March and April this year , according to CAMS .
Western Siberia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 6 degrees Celsius above average since January .
The weather anomaly picks up from 2019 , which forecasters declared as the hottest year on record in Russia .
Greenpeace Russia has said that the dry , warm winter caused the wildfires to start a month earlier than usual , and warned that they could become the most destructive this century .
The “ zombie ” fires are “ an alarming phenomenon , simply because such an abnormal winter creates very dangerous conditions , ” Kuksin told The Moscow Times .
Scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permafrost melt that could release mass amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as well as glacier damage , sea level rise and methane gas release , CAMS said .
Climate change is heating Russia at a rate more than twice the global average , thawing what was once permanently frozen ground in the Arctic tundra .
Russia , the world ’ s fourth-largest greenhouse gas emitter with an economy heavily dependent on oil and gas , has been slow to take steps to curb its carbon emissions .
Kuksin called the estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the spring of 2020 a “ minimal amount ” compared with past averages .
As of Friday , almost three dozen blazes raged across more than 35,000 acres in 10 Siberian and Far Eastern regions .
Kuksin said emergency crews and volunteers have so far been able to bring the man-made blazes under control .
Last year ’ s wildfires in Siberia burned across an area the size of Belgium at their peak and emitted the equivalent of Sweden ’ s total annual carbon dioxide emissions in one month alone .
Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hotbeds of last summer ’ s wildfires , said Mark Parrington , a CAMS senior scientist and wildfire expert .
If ground measurements confirm “ zombie ” fires in 2020 , Parrington said “ we may see a cumulative effect of last year ’ s fire season in the Arctic.
” That effect , he noted , will “ feed into the upcoming season and could lead to large-scale and long-term fires across the same region once again.
” The “ zombie ” fires are also migrating from their usual locations in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kuksin explained .
“ These year-round fires do appear in more unusual places with climate change each year , where it hadn ’ t burned or where it was too cold or wet .
We ’ re seeing more of these fires , for example , in northwest Russia , ” Kuksin told The Moscow Times .
Kuksin warned that Siberia 's wildfires will pick back up this weekend and peak , especially in parts of northern Russia , in July .
“ If forecasters are correct and this will be a hot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Far East will likely burn again this year , ” he said .
“ Plus , we observe that the fires move further north into the Arctic each year and we ’ ve been seeing fires above the Arctic Circle in recent years , ” Kuksin told The Moscow Times .

European climate scientists said Wednesday that satellite images “hinted” at remnants of last year’s blazes returning to the Arctic Circle. Ground measurements across last summer’s wildfire hotspots are needed to confirm the “zombie” fire phenomenon, the EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) said.
Early wildfires caused by a historically warm and snowless winter have ignited concerns of “zombie” fires re-emerging across the Russian Arctic, scientists and activists have said.
“This year has seen an unusually large number of overwintering peat fires,” Grigory Kuksin, the head of Greenpeace Russia’s firefighting program, told The Moscow Times.
Embers deep in organic soils such as peat lands can spark into flames weeks, months and even years later — lending them the “zombie” moniker.
“Some have indeed survived in Russia’s abnormally snowless winter,” Kuksin said.
The risk of wildfires increases with hot weather and low humidity, and Europe in particular has seen record temperatures for March and April this year, according to CAMS.
Western Siberia, for example, has experienced temperatures up to 6 degrees Celsius above average since January. The weather anomaly picks up from 2019, which forecasters declared as the hottest year on record in Russia.
Greenpeace Russia has said that the dry, warm winter caused the wildfires to start a month earlier than usual, and warned that they could become the most destructive this century.
The “zombie” fires are “an alarming phenomenon, simply because such an abnormal winter creates very dangerous conditions,” Kuksin told The Moscow Times.
Scientists fear that the blazes may trigger a permafrost melt that could release mass amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as well as glacier damage, sea level rise and methane gas release, CAMS said.
Climate change is heating Russia at a rate more than twice the global average, thawing what was once permanently frozen ground in the Arctic tundra. Russia, the world’s fourth-largest greenhouse gas emitter with an economy heavily dependent on oil and gas, has been slow to take steps to curb its carbon emissions.
Kuksin called the estimated 5 million acres of wildfires that burned in the spring of 2020 a “minimal amount” compared with past averages. As of Friday, almost three dozen blazes raged across more than 35,000 acres in 10 Siberian and Far Eastern regions. Kuksin said emergency crews and volunteers have so far been able to bring the man-made blazes under control.
Last year’s wildfires in Siberia burned across an area the size of Belgium at their peak and emitted the equivalent of Sweden’s total annual carbon dioxide emissions in one month alone.
Russia, Greenland, Canada and Alaska were the hotbeds of last summer’s wildfires, said Mark Parrington, a CAMS senior scientist and wildfire expert.
If ground measurements confirm “zombie” fires in 2020, Parrington said “we may see a cumulative effect of last year’s fire season in the Arctic.” That effect, he noted, will “feed into the upcoming season and could lead to large-scale and long-term fires across the same region once again.”
The “zombie” fires are also migrating from their usual locations in European Russia, Greenpeace Russia’s Kuksin explained.
“These year-round fires do appear in more unusual places with climate change each year, where it hadn’t burned or where it was too cold or wet. We’re seeing more of these fires, for example, in northwest Russia,” Kuksin told The Moscow Times.
Kuksin warned that Siberia's wildfires will pick back up this weekend and peak, especially in parts of northern Russia, in July.
“If forecasters are correct and this will be a hot summer, then large areas of Siberia and the Far East will likely burn again this year,” he said.
“Plus, we observe that the fires move further north into the Arctic each year and we’ve been seeing fires above the Arctic Circle in recent years,” Kuksin told The Moscow Times.
AFP contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-29--Fans Allowed to Attend Russian Football Matches Next Month

In mid-May , Russia 's football association said that the country 's Premier League would restart its suspended season from June 21 behind closed doors .
Russian authorities said Thursday that a small number of spectators would be allowed at stadiums when the country 's Premier League restarts its suspended season next month .
But on Thursday , the association said it had agreed on a compromise with the state consumer health watchdog , adding spectators will be initially allowed to occupy 10 % of stadiums ' seats .
`` This is a safe number of fans if all safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , quoted by the country 's official anti-coronavirus portal .
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said fan support was important for players , calling it `` a special emotional component of football . ''
Due to the coronavirus outbreak football matches have been suspended in Russia since March 17 .
The Russian Premier League , the country 's top football division , has eight rounds of matches remaining in the season .
Russia has the world 's third largest number of confirmed cases at 379,051 , behind the United States and Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , citing experts , that the country had passed its peak of coronavirus infections .

In mid-May, Russia's football association said that the country's Premier League would restart its suspended season from June 21 behind closed doors.
Russian authorities said Thursday that a small number of spectators would be allowed at stadiums when the country's Premier League restarts its suspended season next month.
But on Thursday, the association said it had agreed on a compromise with the state consumer health watchdog, adding spectators will be initially allowed to occupy 10% of stadiums' seats.
"This is a safe number of fans if all safety measures are observed," the association said, quoted by the country's official anti-coronavirus portal.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said fan support was important for players, calling it "a special emotional component of football."
Due to the coronavirus outbreak football matches have been suspended in Russia since March 17.
The Russian Premier League, the country's top football division, has eight rounds of matches remaining in the season.
Russia has the world's third largest number of confirmed cases at 379,051, behind the United States and Brazil.
On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin said, citing experts, that the country had passed its peak of coronavirus infections.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-26--Russia Sent Warplanes to Back Mercenaries in Libya: U.S. Military

Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar , the U.S. military command for Africa ( Africom ) said Tuesday , in a major escalation in the long-running conflict The military fighter aircraft left Russia and first stopped in Syria where they `` were repainted to camouflage their Russian origin '' before arriving in Libya , said Stuttgart-based Africom .
The U.S. military did not specify when exactly the jets arrived , only saying that it was `` recently '' .
The announcement comes a day after Libya 's UN-recognised government said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commander Haftar had been evacuated from combat zones south of the capital Tripoli .
The retreat follows a series of setbacks for Haftar 's years-long offensive to seize the capital from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord ( GNA ) .
The Kremlin has always denied involvement in the conflict .
But United Nations experts said in a report last month that the Wagner Group , a shadowy Russian paramilitary organization seen as close to President Vladimir Putin , had sent fighters to back Haftar .
`` For too long , Russia has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the ongoing Libyan conflict .
Well , there is no denying it now , '' said U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend in the Africom statement .
`` Russia is clearly trying to tip the scales in its favour in Libya , '' he added .
`` Just like I saw them doing in Syria , they are expanding their military footprint in Africa using government-supported mercenary groups like Wagner . ''
He described the Russian warplanes deployed to Libya as `` fourth generation jet fighters '' .
Oil-rich Libya plunged into conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising , with rival administrations and militias vying for power .
The conflict worsened when Haftar , who is also backed by Egypt , the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia , launched an offensive on Tripoli in April 2019 .
Africom said Russia 's actions risked prolonging the conflict and exacerbating `` casualties and human suffering on both sides '' .
If confirmed , Russia 's fighter jet deployment would constitute another violation of a much-abused 2011 UN arms embargo .
World leaders agreed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meddling in the conflict that has dragged in major regional rivals .
But the UN has repeatedly warned that both sides have continued to receive arms and fighters .

Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar, the U.S. military command for Africa (Africom) said Tuesday, in a major escalation in the long-running conflict
The military fighter aircraft left Russia and first stopped in Syria where they "were repainted to camouflage their Russian origin" before arriving in Libya, said Stuttgart-based Africom.
The U.S. military did not specify when exactly the jets arrived, only saying that it was "recently".
The announcement comes a day after Libya's UN-recognised government said hundreds of Russian mercenaries backing rival military commander Haftar had been evacuated from combat zones south of the capital Tripoli.
The retreat follows a series of setbacks for Haftar's years-long offensive to seize the capital from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
The Kremlin has always denied involvement in the conflict.
But United Nations experts said in a report last month that the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian paramilitary organization seen as close to President Vladimir Putin, had sent fighters to back Haftar.
"For too long, Russia has denied the full extent of its involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict. Well, there is no denying it now," said U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend in the Africom statement.
"Russia is clearly trying to tip the scales in its favour in Libya," he added.
"Just like I saw them doing in Syria, they are expanding their military footprint in Africa using government-supported mercenary groups like Wagner."
He described the Russian warplanes deployed to Libya as "fourth generation jet fighters".
Oil-rich Libya plunged into conflict after the ouster and killing of veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, with rival administrations and militias vying for power.
The conflict worsened when Haftar, who is also backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, launched an offensive on Tripoli in April 2019.
Africom said Russia's actions risked prolonging the conflict and exacerbating "casualties and human suffering on both sides".
If confirmed, Russia's fighter jet deployment would constitute another violation of a much-abused 2011 UN arms embargo.
World leaders agreed in January to uphold the embargo and stop meddling in the conflict that has dragged in major regional rivals.
But the UN has repeatedly warned that both sides have continued to receive arms and fighters.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-25--Russian Prosecutors Demand 18 Years for Ex-U.S. Marine in Spy Trial

Russian prosecutors on Monday called for a former US marine charged with spying to be sentenced to 18 years in prison , after a closed-door trial denounced by Washington and his family .
Paul Whelan , 50 , was detained in Moscow in December 2018 for allegedly receiving state secrets , but he insists he was framed when he took a USB drive from an acquaintance thinking it contained holiday photos .
His trial , which caused tensions between Moscow and Washington and sparked speculation of a prisoner swap , concluded with closing arguments on Monday .
Whelan 's lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years for his client in a strict-regime penal colony , just short of the maximum 20-year sentence .
`` To be honest , we are in shock , '' Vladimir Zherebenkov said outside the Moscow City Court , removing his mask to speak to journalists standing at a distance .
Whelan reacted calmly to the prosecutor 's `` very harsh '' demand , the lawyer said .
`` He is behaving with dignity , '' he added .
Zherebenkov said the prosecutor believed Whelan was an officer — `` at least a colonel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agency ( DIA ) .
Whelan told the court `` he did not do any spying and was not collecting any secret information , '' his lawyer said .
He added that the verdict would be delivered and sentence announced on June 15 .
`` If the situation does not get politicized , if the sentence is determined in an objective , fair way , there should be an acquittal as the defense asked for , '' Zherebenkov said .
The trial , which began in March , was held behind closed doors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Whelan , who was head of global security at a U.S. auto-parts supplier , said he was visiting Russia to attend a wedding at the time of his arrest .
He claimed that evidence he provided was ignored and the court was biased in favour of the prosecution and security services .
Whelan used earlier hearings to appeal to journalists and U.S. President Donald Trump , claiming he was being mistreated , not given full translations of documents and rarely granted access to his lawyer .

Russian prosecutors on Monday called for a former US marine charged with spying to be sentenced to 18 years in prison, after a closed-door trial denounced by Washington and his family.
Paul Whelan, 50, was detained in Moscow in December 2018 for allegedly receiving state secrets, but he insists he was framed when he took a USB drive from an acquaintance thinking it contained holiday photos.
His trial, which caused tensions between Moscow and Washington and sparked speculation of a prisoner swap, concluded with closing arguments on Monday.
Whelan's lawyer told reporters that prosecutors had requested 18 years for his client in a strict-regime penal colony, just short of the maximum 20-year sentence.
"To be honest, we are in shock," Vladimir Zherebenkov said outside the Moscow City Court, removing his mask to speak to journalists standing at a distance.
Whelan reacted calmly to the prosecutor's "very harsh" demand, the lawyer said. "He is behaving with dignity," he added.
Zherebenkov said the prosecutor believed Whelan was an officer — "at least a colonel" — at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Whelan told the court "he did not do any spying and was not collecting any secret information," his lawyer said.
He added that the verdict would be delivered and sentence announced on June 15.
'Paucity of evidence'
"If the situation does not get politicized, if the sentence is determined in an objective, fair way, there should be an acquittal as the defense asked for," Zherebenkov said.
The trial, which began in March, was held behind closed doors despite the coronavirus pandemic and diplomatic protests.
Whelan, who was head of global security at a U.S. auto-parts supplier, said he was visiting Russia to attend a wedding at the time of his arrest.
He claimed that evidence he provided was ignored and the court was biased in favour of the prosecution and security services.
Whelan used earlier hearings to appeal to journalists and U.S. President Donald Trump, claiming he was being mistreated, not given full translations of documents and rarely granted access to his lawyer.
Whelan also holds Irish, Canadian and British citizenship.
His family members slammed the prosecution's demand.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-29--Russia Struggles to Keep up in Race for Virus Vaccine

Their actions hint at a difficult reality for Russian policymakers — the country is no longer the vaccine developer it was in Soviet times and it is struggling to match virus research being carried out elsewhere .
When Russian scientists boasted that they had tested a coronavirus vaccine on themselves , reactions ranged from praise of their commitment , to outrage over their methods .
Alexander Gintsburg of Moscow 's Gamaleya research institute said last week he had taken a dose of a so-called viral vector vaccine that he hopes will complete clinical trials by the end of the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his vaccine , which is similar to one being developed by Chinese firm CanSino .
Russia is among the countries racing to develop a vaccine and the Gamaleya project is one of several homegrown initiatives .
But Gamaleya 's self-experiments were condemned by the country 's clinical research association as a `` crude violation of the foundations of clinical research conduct , Russian legislation , and international norms . ''
The stakes are undoubtedly high .
Lockdowns and other containment measures are doing long-term economic damage , and this week Moscow 's mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until a vaccine is produced .
`` I am alarmed by these promises about developing a vaccine by September , '' said Vitaly Zverev , a professor and laboratory head at the Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera .
He said the self-experimentation was probably the result of a push to produce the vaccine quickly .
`` Clearly , whoever makes the vaccine will get the top prize , countries will buy it ... it reminds me of a race , and I do n't like it , '' he told AFP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Russia 's only private developer to be listed by the World Health Organization as a candidate to deliver a vaccine .
`` The Soviet school ( of vaccine research ) was one of the strongest in the world , '' director Dmitry Morozov said in an interview , citing polio and smallpox vaccines used in many countries .
By some accounts , the Soviet Union provided 1.5 billion doses of the smallpox vaccine .
BioCad is developing a potential vaccine with Siberian institute Vektor , which Morozov says are the `` real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soviet times .
But he added that while there were plenty of active researchers in the country , `` there is work to do '' before Russian products can be brought to market .
Alexander Lukashev , director of the Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology , agreed that taking cutting-edge research from the lab to real life is a hurdle that may prove especially high for Russia .
`` I ca n't think of mass vaccines made in quantities of more than 1 million doses produced by Russia , '' he told AFP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a question of national prestige , '' Lukashev warned that proving long-term safety quickly is impossible , and recent technologies like viral vector would make it too expensive for mass production .
Vaccine development in Russia suffered a downturn in the 1990s from which it never recovered , according to Zverev .
Chemical producers that used to belong to research institutes have been sold off or fell apart and now materials have to be imported .
Officials in Moscow worry that Western countries could use information gleaned from Russian `` biological materials '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zverev 's institute can not fully engage with the European Virus Archive , an NGO facilitating scientific exchange , by selling Russian viruses for the collection .
`` Our colleagues send us viruses , but we can not give ours because they are protected by law , '' he said .

Their actions hint at a difficult reality for Russian policymakers — the country is no longer the vaccine developer it was in Soviet times and it is struggling to match virus research being carried out elsewhere.
When Russian scientists boasted that they had tested a coronavirus vaccine on themselves, reactions ranged from praise of their commitment, to outrage over their methods.
Alexander Gintsburg of Moscow's Gamaleya research institute said last week he had taken a dose of a so-called viral vector vaccine that he hopes will complete clinical trials by the end of the summer.
He wants then to start producing his vaccine, which is similar to one being developed by Chinese firm CanSino.
Russia is among the countries racing to develop a vaccine and the Gamaleya project is one of several homegrown initiatives.
But Gamaleya's self-experiments were condemned by the country's clinical research association as a "crude violation of the foundations of clinical research conduct, Russian legislation, and international norms."
'National prestige'
The stakes are undoubtedly high. Lockdowns and other containment measures are doing long-term economic damage, and this week Moscow's mayor said some measures would have to remain until a vaccine is produced.
"I am alarmed by these promises about developing a vaccine by September," said Vitaly Zverev, a professor and laboratory head at the Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera.
He said the self-experimentation was probably the result of a push to produce the vaccine quickly.
"Clearly, whoever makes the vaccine will get the top prize, countries will buy it... it reminds me of a race, and I don't like it," he told AFP.
Biotech firm BioCad in St. Petersburg is Russia's only private developer to be listed by the World Health Organization as a candidate to deliver a vaccine.
"The Soviet school (of vaccine research) was one of the strongest in the world," director Dmitry Morozov said in an interview, citing polio and smallpox vaccines used in many countries.
By some accounts, the Soviet Union provided 1.5 billion doses of the smallpox vaccine.
BioCad is developing a potential vaccine with Siberian institute Vektor, which Morozov says are the "real leaders" in the field since the Soviet times.
But he added that while there were plenty of active researchers in the country, "there is work to do" before Russian products can be brought to market.
Alexander Lukashev, director of the Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, agreed that taking cutting-edge research from the lab to real life is a hurdle that may prove especially high for Russia.
"I can't think of mass vaccines made in quantities of more than 1 million doses produced by Russia," he told AFP.
State-protected viruses
Although developing a vaccine was "a question of national prestige," Lukashev warned that proving long-term safety quickly is impossible, and recent technologies like viral vector would make it too expensive for mass production.
Vaccine development in Russia suffered a downturn in the 1990s from which it never recovered, according to Zverev.
Chemical producers that used to belong to research institutes have been sold off or fell apart and now materials have to be imported.
But international cooperation is tricky.
Officials in Moscow worry that Western countries could use information gleaned from Russian "biological materials" to develop bioweapons.
As a result Zverev's institute cannot fully engage with the European Virus Archive, an NGO facilitating scientific exchange, by selling Russian viruses for the collection.
"Our colleagues send us viruses, but we cannot give ours because they are protected by law," he said.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-29--U.S. Ex-Marine in Russia Spy Trial Has Urgent Operation

Whelan had `` emergency hernia surgery '' after experiencing `` severe abdominal pain '' overnight , his brother David Whelan said in a statement , citing information from the U.S. Embassy .
Paul Whelan , a U.S. ex-marine currently on trial in Russia on espionage charges , has had an urgent hernia operation at a Moscow hospital , his brother said Friday .
The operation was successful and Whelan was to be transferred back the same day to Moscow 's Lefortovo prison where he is being held , his brother said .
The 50-year-old was detained in Moscow in December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he insists he was framed when he took a USB drive from an acquaintance thinking it contained holiday photos .
His trial has caused tensions between Moscow and Washington and sparked speculation over a possible prisoner swap .
The former marine was head of global security at an U.S. auto-parts supplier at the time of his arrest , when he said he was visiting Russia to attend a wedding .
His case is being heard behind closed doors at a Moscow court ostensibly due to the case involving state secrets .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as making a `` mockery of justice . ''
Prosecutors on Monday asked the judge to sentence Whelan to 18 years in a strict-regime penal colony , while the maximum possible sentence is 20 years .
Whelan has previously complained that prison staff were refusing medical care for his hernia .
His lawyer said in October that he was offered an operation but decided not to go through with it .
His brother David on Friday voiced concern that `` the coronavirus is spreading '' through the prison where Whelan is being held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to illness as he recovers .

Whelan had "emergency hernia surgery" after experiencing "severe abdominal pain" overnight, his brother David Whelan said in a statement, citing information from the U.S. Embassy.
Paul Whelan, a U.S. ex-marine currently on trial in Russia on espionage charges, has had an urgent hernia operation at a Moscow hospital, his brother said Friday.
The operation was successful and Whelan was to be transferred back the same day to Moscow's Lefortovo prison where he is being held, his brother said.
The 50-year-old was detained in Moscow in December 2018 for allegedly receiving state secrets, but he insists he was framed when he took a USB drive from an acquaintance thinking it contained holiday photos.
His trial has caused tensions between Moscow and Washington and sparked speculation over a possible prisoner swap.
Whelan holds U.S., Canadian, Irish and British citizenship.
The former marine was head of global security at an U.S. auto-parts supplier at the time of his arrest, when he said he was visiting Russia to attend a wedding.
His case is being heard behind closed doors at a Moscow court ostensibly due to the case involving state secrets.
The U.S. Embassy has described the secret trial as making a "mockery of justice."
Prosecutors on Monday asked the judge to sentence Whelan to 18 years in a strict-regime penal colony, while the maximum possible sentence is 20 years.
The judge will deliver a verdict June 15.
Whelan has previously complained that prison staff were refusing medical care for his hernia. His lawyer said in October that he was offered an operation but decided not to go through with it.
His brother David on Friday voiced concern that "the coronavirus is spreading" through the prison where Whelan is being held and he could be "more susceptible" to illness as he recovers.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-29--Moscow Police Resume Detaining Jailed Journalist’s Supporters

More than 30 protestors have been detained outside Moscow 's police headquarters Friday as solo pickets demanding the release of a journalist arrested for a similar picket this week continued into their second day .
The latest detentions follow those of eight prominent journalists at the same location Thursday for protesting the 15-day jailing of their colleague , activist and municipal deputy Ilya Azar .
Police said the journalists had been detained for violating a ban on rallies during Moscow 's citywide quarantine to slow the spread of coronavirus .
Police have apprehended at least 35 people , including five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Meduza news website cited its reporter on the ground as saying .
Another opposition party municipal deputy was detained outside the Moscow police building earlier in the day .
Law enforcement officials used loudspeakers to tell others gathered at the scene to disperse during the coronavirus lockdown , according to Meduza .
Police issued a warning earlier Friday that public assembly is not allowed under restrictions placed to slow the coronavirus outbreak .
Amnesty International said Russia should stop using the coronavirus epidemic as a pretext to muzzle activists .
Reporters also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained at similar pickets in support of Azar in St. Petersburg .
The chief editor of the Znak.com news outlet staged a single picket in Russia ’ s fourth-largest city of Yekaterinburg without being detained earlier Friday .
Police detained Azar , 35 , on Tuesday during a demonstration in support of activist Vladimir Vorontsov and sentenced to 15 days in jail for repeat violations of a protest law .
Vorontsov , who has worked to expose violations within Russia 's law enforcement agencies , was arrested in early May on extortion charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegally distributing pornography and had two more charges added Friday .
Vorontsov has denied the charges , saying police are seeking to punish him for his activism .
Russia has recently cracked down hard on opposition demonstrations , and the single-person protest is the only kind allowed without prior permission from the authorities .

More than 30 protestors have been detained outside Moscow's police headquarters Friday as solo pickets demanding the release of a journalist arrested for a similar picket this week continued into their second day. The latest detentions follow those of eight prominent journalists at the same location Thursday for protesting the 15-day jailing of their colleague, activist and municipal deputy Ilya Azar. Police said the journalists had been detained for violating a ban on rallies during Moscow's citywide quarantine to slow the spread of coronavirus.
news Leading Russian Journalists Detained for Protesting in Support of Jailed Colleague Read more
Police have apprehended at least 35 people, including five municipal deputies from an opposition party, the Meduza news website cited its reporter on the ground as saying. Another opposition party municipal deputy was detained outside the Moscow police building earlier in the day. Law enforcement officials used loudspeakers to tell others gathered at the scene to disperse during the coronavirus lockdown, according to Meduza. Police issued a warning earlier Friday that public assembly is not allowed under restrictions placed to slow the coronavirus outbreak. Amnesty International said Russia should stop using the coronavirus epidemic as a pretext to muzzle activists.
На Петровке, 38 начались задержания активистов. Задержаны: Филина, Галямина, Сваровский, Морев, Неймар, Гончаров. pic.twitter.com/QjrXfymPV4 — Новая Газета (@novaya_gazeta) May 29, 2020