themoscowtimes--2020-04-02--Russia's Coronavirus Cases Spike By 771, Bringing Total to 3,548 in New One-Day Record

Russia ’ s officially reported numbers — which are still smaller than those in European countries — have sparked suspicion @ @ @ @ @ 's testing capacity is hampered by bureaucracy , while officials warn that the real number @ @ @ @ @ higher .
Most of Russia 's cases are in Moscow .
Last week , Moscow @ @ @ @ @ its coronavirus cases , with patients considered coronavirus-positive upon a single positive test rather than @ @ @ @ @ lab Novosibirsk for further verification .
Starting Monday , all of Moscow 's 12 million @ @ @ @ @ stay in their homes with few exceptions .
Worldwide , the virus has infected over @ @ @ @ @ than 47,000 .

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--2020-04-02--Russia Could Extend Putin's Nationwide Coronavirus Holiday – Kommersant

Putin declared a “ non-working week ” from March 28 to April 5 to encourage Russians to stay home and slow the spread of coronavirus , which has infected 2,777 and killed 24 Russians as of Wednesday .
Authorities in Moscow , which instituted strict lockdown procedures during the week , plan to enforce self-isolation using government-issued QR codes and other surveillance tools .
Russia could extend President Vladimir Putin ’ s weeklong paid time off for another week as it looks to fight the deadly coronavirus outbreak , the Kommersant business daily reported Thursday .
Kommersant , without citing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the “ non-working week ” will roll over into the week of April 5-11 .
“ The situation is becoming more complicated in our country , ” Putin said during a remote cabinet session Wednesday .
That day , he signed into law jail terms of up to seven years for violating quarantine rules and five years for spreading “ fake news ” surrounding coronavirus .
Senior government officials have urged Putin to extend the non-working week , citing the virus ’ incubation period of up to 14 days .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said at the remote session .
“ But even 14 days is of course not enough , ” Anna Popova , who heads Russia ’ s consumer protection watchdog , said at her briefing .
The Russian government has allocated $ 18 billion to fight the pandemic and carry out anti-crisis measures , Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said .
A majority of Russian regions have , like Moscow , introduced partial lockdown measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus .
Chechnya became the first Russian region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a measure set to take effect this Sunday .
Meanwhile , Reuters cited three unnamed officials as saying Wednesday that Russia was considering declaring a nationwide state of emergency to introduce tougher measures .

Putin declared a “non-working week” from March 28 to April 5 to encourage Russians to stay home and slow the spread of coronavirus, which has infected 2,777 and killed 24 Russians as of Wednesday. Authorities in Moscow, which instituted strict lockdown procedures during the week, plan to enforce self-isolation using government-issued QR codes and other surveillance tools.
Russia could extend President Vladimir Putin’s weeklong paid time off for another week as it looks to fight the deadly coronavirus outbreak, the Kommersant business daily reported Thursday.
Kommersant, without citing sources, said it had obtained information that the “non-working week” will roll over into the week of April 5-11.
“The situation is becoming more complicated in our country,” Putin said during a remote cabinet session Wednesday.
That day, he signed into law jail terms of up to seven years for violating quarantine rules and five years for spreading “fake news” surrounding coronavirus.
Senior government officials have urged Putin to extend the non-working week, citing the virus’ incubation period of up to 14 days.
“We believe these social-distancing measures should be extended,” Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said at the remote session.
“But even 14 days is of course not enough,” Anna Popova, who heads Russia’s consumer protection watchdog, said at her briefing.
The Russian government has allocated $18 billion to fight the pandemic and carry out anti-crisis measures, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.
A majority of Russian regions have, like Moscow, introduced partial lockdown measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Chechnya became the first Russian region to seal off its internal borders, a measure set to take effect this Sunday.
Meanwhile, Reuters cited three unnamed officials as saying Wednesday that Russia was considering declaring a nationwide state of emergency to introduce tougher measures.
The Kremlin denied discussing a state of emergency.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-02--Russia Restricts Grain Exports Amid Pandemic

Russia on Thursday published a government decree establishing an export quota for certain grains until the end of June as its virus cases spiked .
The measures came after the heads of three global agencies including the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organisation on Wednesday warned countries against imposing export restrictions that could interrupt the food supply chain .
Russia 's agriculture ministry had proposed the quota last month .
Russia is the world 's top wheat exporter .
In the agricultural year from 2018-2019 , it exported more than 35 million tons of wheat and 43.3 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news agency reported .
Russia 's restrictions , which came into force Wednesday , apply to wheat , maize , barley and rye as well as a mixture of grains called meslin , an official government website said .
Only 7 million tons of these can be exported , the government order said .
This does not apply to seeds .
Exports are still unlimited in a customs union Russia has set up with countries including Kazakhstan and Belarus .
The government order signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said these grains were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market . ''
While it did not refer to the coronavirus pandemic , Russia wants to ensure its supplies during the virus crisis and keep domestic prices down .
Russia on Thursday announced the highest number yet of new coronavirus cases at 771 , taking the total number of confirmed cases to 3,548 while 30 people have died .

Russia on Thursday published a government decree establishing an export quota for certain grains until the end of June as its virus cases spiked.
The measures came after the heads of three global agencies including the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organisation on Wednesday warned countries against imposing export restrictions that could interrupt the food supply chain.
Russia's agriculture ministry had proposed the quota last month.
Russia is the world's top wheat exporter. In the agricultural year from 2018-2019, it exported more than 35 million tons of wheat and 43.3 million tons of all grains, RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Russia's restrictions, which came into force Wednesday, apply to wheat, maize, barley and rye as well as a mixture of grains called meslin, an official government website said.
Only 7 million tons of these can be exported, the government order said. This does not apply to seeds. Exports are still unlimited in a customs union Russia has set up with countries including Kazakhstan and Belarus.
The government order signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said these grains were "of significant importance to the domestic market."
While it did not refer to the coronavirus pandemic, Russia wants to ensure its supplies during the virus crisis and keep domestic prices down.
Russia on Thursday announced the highest number yet of new coronavirus cases at 771, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 3,548 while 30 people have died.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-02--Analysts Fear the Economic Impact of Russia’s April Coronavirus Shutdown Will Be Catastrophic

Russia could be heading for its deepest recession in a generation with millions of workers set to lose their jobs , economists have warned , in a stark assessment of the economic costs of the coronavirus outbreak , and Russia ’ s response to the pandemic .
In an address to the nation Thursday afternoon , President Vladimir Putin extended a shutdown of the Russian economy , ordering non-essential businesses to stay closed until the end of April , giving workers a month-long paid holiday .
Despite the drastic measures , which came as Russia recorded another record increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections to 3,548 , the president refrained from offering any kind of economic stimulus package or support to businesses .
“ Putin ’ s address confirmed the worst fears … A month long lockdown makes recession and a full-year contraction for Russia unavoidable , the question now is how deep it will be , ” said Lilit Gevorgyan , principal economist for Europe and CIS at IHS Markit .
Economists The Moscow Times spoke to said the economic hit could be worse than any Russia has experienced since Putin came to power 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long prolongation of the current off-work time and multi-year low oil prices , there is a mounting risk that Russia ’ s GDP fall in 2020 could hit double-digit territory , ” said economist Vladimir Miklashevsky .
At a meeting with Putin yesterday , before the extension of the nationwide holiday , Audit Chamber chief Alexei Kudrin told the president that Russia ’ s economy would fall by between 3 and 5 % this year , even if it takes a moderate hit from the coronavirus .
Such a slump could be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country — especially without any signs of a large-scale stimulus package from the Kremlin .
“ Millions of people will lose their jobs , ” said Igor Nikolayev of Grant Thornton .
He estimates the official unemployment rate could hit 15 % by the end of the year , up from its current level of 4.6 % .
Fears that job losses will reach the millions were shared by other economists .
Anton Tabakh , chief economist of Expert RA said between three and five million jobs across the country were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brokerage said an unemployment rate of between 10 and 15 % was possible — equivalent to 7-10 million out of work — and Miklashevsky also said Russia would see seven-figure levels of job losses .
Other economists said the fallout might not be so drastic — but that Russia was still on course to suffer a recession .
“ Overall I remain positive on Russia , ” said Renaissance Capital ’ s Sofya Donets .
“ Russia 's strengths are a relatively low share of services that are most sensitive to quarantine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in GDP and employment , and high accumulated reserves that allow the implementation of fiscal stimulus .
But probably the main one is that Russia is a type of a country , and a society , that historically works really well in a mobilization regime.
” Part of the difficulty in assessing the impact of the shutdown is a lack of clarity over what parts of the economy it actually covers .
Raiffeisen Bank ’ s Stanislav Murashov estimates that only 30 % of the Russian economy will be affected , since Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have stayed open , while many other businesses may be able to switch to remote working .
Attention is now fixed on how the Kremlin intends to support the economy and ensure unemployment does not spike — an objective Putin outlined as his top priority in terms of the socio-economic impact of the coronavirus .
Economists have routinely highlighted that the Russian government has plenty of firepower to fight the crisis .
It has $ 150 billion — worth almost 10 % of its economy — in its national wealth fund ( NWF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , even as job losses start to mount amid daily warnings of mass business closures and layoffs , the Kremlin has been reluctant to launch a meaningful package of support .
“ Despite Russia ’ s seemingly ample fiscal space , the stimulus so far is tiny — 1.3 % of GDP , ” says Evghenia Sleptsova of Oxford Economics .
“ Sanctions mean Russia can ’ t throw its fiscal discipline out of the window like developed countries are doing , or even some emerging markets.
” Grant Thornton ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impression that there is no proper understanding of the situation .
Raising unemployment benefits from 8,000 rubles ( $ 103 ) to 12,000 rubles ( $ 153 ) and 5,000 ruble ( $ 64 ) payments to families on the maternity capital scheme ?
This is not enough .
What about those who are not yet unemployed or who don ’ t receive maternity capital , but their company is no longer working ?
Where do businesses — especially small ones — get the money for salaries if they are not open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s package of support is widespread , dozens of small business owners told The Moscow Times .
It is also being tapped into by Putin ’ s critics to attack his handling of the crisis .
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny wrote on Twitter Thursday evening : “ I will explain Putin ’ s logic .
It comes from the fact that almost the entire economy is the state .
State employees , employees of state-owned companies and large ‘ controlled ’ companies will be paid their salaries .
The rest — all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers , waiters , and so on can be sacrificed.
” Putin has previously referred to small business owners as “ crooks , ” and prime minister Mikhail Mishustin threatened federal inspections of firms who use the coronavirus as a reason to lay-off workers .
Chris Weafer of Macro Advisory said he believes the Kremlin ’ s strategy is to keep the burden of supporting workers and paying wages on employers , rather than having to use state resources .
He added that this is why Putin has classified the lockdown as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employers in Russia will have to keep paying their employees and will not easily be able to reduce pay or numbers , ” he said .
Despite threats from the state , maintaining employment and paying salaries will prove impossible for some , Vyacheslav Abramov of BKS Premier told The Moscow Times .
“ Many businesses will simply have nothing to pay wages with .
Large companies can afford to endure a month of so-called ‘ non-work days ’ , but there are few of them , and they too will suffer serious @ @ @

Russia could be heading for its deepest recession in a generation with millions of workers set to lose their jobs, economists have warned, in a stark assessment of the economic costs of the coronavirus outbreak, and Russia’s response to the pandemic. In an address to the nation Thursday afternoon, President Vladimir Putin extended a shutdown of the Russian economy, ordering non-essential businesses to stay closed until the end of April, giving workers a month-long paid holiday. Despite the drastic measures, which came as Russia recorded another record increase in coronavirus cases taking the number of official infections to 3,548, the president refrained from offering any kind of economic stimulus package or support to businesses. “Putin’s address confirmed the worst fears … A month long lockdown makes recession and a full-year contraction for Russia unavoidable, the question now is how deep it will be,” said Lilit Gevorgyan, principal economist for Europe and CIS at IHS Markit. Economists The Moscow Times spoke to said the economic hit could be worse than any Russia has experienced since Putin came to power 20 years ago.
“Given such a long prolongation of the current off-work time and multi-year low oil prices, there is a mounting risk that Russia’s GDP fall in 2020 could hit double-digit territory,” said economist Vladimir Miklashevsky. At a meeting with Putin yesterday, before the extension of the nationwide holiday, Audit Chamber chief Alexei Kudrin told the president that Russia’s economy would fall by between 3 and 5% this year, even if it takes a moderate hit from the coronavirus. Such a slump could be a disaster for businesses and millions of workers across the country — especially without any signs of a large-scale stimulus package from the Kremlin. “Millions of people will lose their jobs,” said Igor Nikolayev of Grant Thornton. He estimates the official unemployment rate could hit 15% by the end of the year, up from its current level of 4.6%. Fears that job losses will reach the millions were shared by other economists. Anton Tabakh, chief economist of Expert RA said between three and five million jobs across the country were at risk, Timur Nigmatullin of Otkritie Brokerage said an unemployment rate of between 10 and 15% was possible — equivalent to 7-10 million out of work — and Miklashevsky also said Russia would see seven-figure levels of job losses.
Other economists said the fallout might not be so drastic — but that Russia was still on course to suffer a recession. “Overall I remain positive on Russia,” said Renaissance Capital’s Sofya Donets. “Russia's strengths are a relatively low share of services that are most sensitive to quarantine, a higher share of the public sector in GDP and employment, and high accumulated reserves that allow the implementation of fiscal stimulus. But probably the main one is that Russia is a type of a country, and a society, that historically works really well in a mobilization regime.” Part of the difficulty in assessing the impact of the shutdown is a lack of clarity over what parts of the economy it actually covers. Raiffeisen Bank’s Stanislav Murashov estimates that only 30% of the Russian economy will be affected, since Russia’s energy and natural resources industries have stayed open, while many other businesses may be able to switch to remote working. Economic response Attention is now fixed on how the Kremlin intends to support the economy and ensure unemployment does not spike — an objective Putin outlined as his top priority in terms of the socio-economic impact of the coronavirus. Economists have routinely highlighted that the Russian government has plenty of firepower to fight the crisis. It has $150 billion — worth almost 10% of its economy — in its national wealth fund (NWF), and extremely low public debt. However, even as job losses start to mount amid daily warnings of mass business closures and layoffs, the Kremlin has been reluctant to launch a meaningful package of support. “Despite Russia’s seemingly ample fiscal space, the stimulus so far is tiny — 1.3% of GDP,” says Evghenia Sleptsova of Oxford Economics. “Sanctions mean Russia can’t throw its fiscal discipline out of the window like developed countries are doing, or even some emerging markets.” Grant Thornton’s Nikolayev added: “I have the impression that there is no proper understanding of the situation. Raising unemployment benefits from 8,000 rubles ($103) to 12,000 rubles ($153) and 5,000 ruble ($64) payments to families on the maternity capital scheme? This is not enough. What about those who are not yet unemployed or who don’t receive maternity capital, but their company is no longer working? Where do businesses — especially small ones — get the money for salaries if they are not open?”


themoscowtimes--2020-04-02--Kremlin Denies Putin Spoke to Saudi Crown Prince

The Kremlin on Thursday denied President Vladimir Putin spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after U.S. President Donald @ @ @ @ @ Twitter , and oil prices rocketed .
`` No , there was no conversation , @ @ @ @ @ Peskov told Interfax news agency , adding that `` so far '' there were no @ @ @ @ @ after Trump said the Saudi crown prince had spoken to Putin and he expected them @ @ @ @ @ in oil production .

The Kremlin on Thursday denied President Vladimir Putin spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after U.S. President Donald Trump made the claim on Twitter, and oil prices rocketed.
"No, there was no conversation," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax news agency, adding that "so far" there were no plans for such talks, after Trump said the Saudi crown prince had spoken to Putin and he expected them to agree on a cut in oil production.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-02--Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod Unveils Digital Passes to Enforce Virus Lockdown

Russia ’ s Nizhny Novgorod region has rolled out a QR code pass system to allow its 3.2 million residents to leave their homes during its coronavirus lockdown .
The region , some 400 kilometers east of Moscow , introduced an indefinite quarantine similar to that of the Russian capital and the majority of other regions this week .
Residents are only allowed to leave their homes for groceries or medicine , to walk their pets or to throw out the trash .
Residents can request QR codes as needed after registering on a special government website , Nizhny Novgorod @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An iOS and Android app to obtain the scannable bar codes allowing residents to venture outside will become available by Saturday , he added .
“ A law enforcement officer may still request proof that you ’ re near your home and ask to see your passport , ” Nikitin said in a statement .
Moscow authorities confirmed this week that they also plan to introduce the QR system for its 12.7 million residents during the city ’ s lockdown .
The capital ’ s chief of IT has also said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would become available Thursday .
Opponents of the coronavirus control measures have criticized what they say are violations of privacy , warning that authorities could keep the restrictions after the global pandemic ends .
The Nizhny Novgorod region has reported 25 coronavirus cases out of 3,548 across Russia so far .
Nearly half the region ’ s cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours .

Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region has rolled out a QR code pass system to allow its 3.2 million residents to leave their homes during its coronavirus lockdown. The region, some 400 kilometers east of Moscow, introduced an indefinite quarantine similar to that of the Russian capital and the majority of other regions this week. Residents are only allowed to leave their homes for groceries or medicine, to walk their pets or to throw out the trash.
Wow so this is what Nizhny Novgorod’s QR-code request interface looks like. You can ask for work permits (undefined), shopping (3 hours), walking the dog (1 hour), throwing out the trash (30 min), or seeing a doctor (3 hours). pic.twitter.com/0hV0IWATn7 — Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) April 2, 2020
Residents can request QR codes as needed after registering on a special government website, Nizhny Novgorod governor Gleb Nikitin said on his website. An iOS and Android app to obtain the scannable bar codes allowing residents to venture outside will become available by Saturday, he added. “A law enforcement officer may still request proof that you’re near your home and ask to see your passport,” Nikitin said in a statement.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-02--Putin Extends Nationwide Paid Holiday as Coronavirus Numbers See Sharpest Rise Yet

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia spiked overnight with 771 new cases registered across the country , bringing official totals to 3,548 infections and 30 deaths .
President Vladimir Putin announced the extension of Russia 's nationwide “ non-working week ” until April 30 after the country registered a sharp increase in coronavirus cases on Thursday .
Speaking in a televised address , Putin said the paid non-working week , originally scheduled from March 28 to April 5 , “ won us time ” to fight the coronavirus outbreak .
Putin added that he would delegate the decisionmaking power on anti-coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences in infection rates .
Thursday 's announcement comes after health officials on Wednesday called for an extension to the week off to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
“ We could make additional decisions depending on how the situation develops .
If circumstances allow , we will shorten the required non-working days , ” Putin said .
Dozens of regions throughout Russia have gone into lockdown this week as part of new preventative measures against COVID-19 .
Moscow , a city of more than 12 million residents , introduced strict isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to stay home except for emergencies .
The lack of any further policies or announcement of a broad stimulus package to support the economy and businesses — as has been seen in many other countries battling the coronavirus — could create yet more uncertainty among employers over who will cover the costs of a month-long shutdown .
Firms were already struggling under the toll of a weeklong national holiday as businesses reported sharp drops in revenue , with surveys showing one-third have already started laying off workers or cutting hours .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support has focused on interest-free loans and short-term tax holidays .
Businesses have repeatedly called for help with more substantial payments , such as salaries for workers now at home and rent payments .
This story is being updated .

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia spiked overnight with 771 new cases registered across the country, bringing official totals to 3,548 infections and 30 deaths.
President Vladimir Putin announced the extension of Russia's nationwide “non-working week” until April 30 after the country registered a sharp increase in coronavirus cases on Thursday.
Speaking in a televised address, Putin said the paid non-working week, originally scheduled from March 28 to April 5, “won us time” to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Putin added that he would delegate the decisionmaking power on anti-coronavirus measures to regional authorities given the regional differences in infection rates.
Thursday's announcement comes after health officials on Wednesday called for an extension to the week off to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“We could make additional decisions depending on how the situation develops. If circumstances allow, we will shorten the required non-working days,” Putin said.
Dozens of regions throughout Russia have gone into lockdown this week as part of new preventative measures against COVID-19.
Moscow, a city of more than 12 million residents, introduced strict isolation rules on Monday, with authorities ordering people to stay home except for emergencies.
The lack of any further policies or announcement of a broad stimulus package to support the economy and businesses — as has been seen in many other countries battling the coronavirus — could create yet more uncertainty among employers over who will cover the costs of a month-long shutdown. Firms were already struggling under the toll of a weeklong national holiday as businesses reported sharp drops in revenue, with surveys showing one-third have already started laying off workers or cutting hours.
So far, the Kremlin's package of support has focused on interest-free loans and short-term tax holidays. Businesses have repeatedly called for help with more substantial payments, such as salaries for workers now at home and rent payments.
AFP contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-02--Young Russian Journalist Dies From Coronavirus

Anastasia Petrova , chief editor of the Delovoy Interes business weekly in the city of Perm 1,400 kilometers east of Moscow , was hospitalized with pneumonia on March 24 .
Regional health authorities reportedly said that Petrova ’ s coronavirus diagnosis had not been confirmed until after her death Tuesday .
A 36-year-old Russian journalist died from the coronavirus this week , authorities said on Thursday two days after her passing , drawing criticism for allegedly withholding the news .
“ Why was it kept quiet if it was known that she had coronavirus ?
” Perm region governor Dmitry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
“ It ’ s unacceptable to hide information from the public !
We shouldn ’ t lie to people !
” Delovoy Interes , which translates as “ Business Interest ” from Russian , wrote Wednesday : “ We were left without an editor , a colleague , a friend and someone very dear to us.
” “ This is the darkest day in the history of Delovoy Interes .
We did not believe it when doctors said they couldn ’ t save Nastya [ and ] waited for them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it said .
In her last Facebook post on March 24 , Petrova described her treatment as attentive and professional .
“ When the intensivist looks thoughtfully at the printout of your analysis , it ’ s actually very scary , ” she wrote .
The Perm region has reported 14 confirmed cases of the highly contagious virus , including one recovery and two deaths .
Russia recorded 3,548 coronavirus cases and 30 deaths after its biggest one-day surge in infections Thursday .
Some medical professionals have questioned the reliability of Russia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say is unreliable quality of testing .
Public polling has also said that more Russians mistrust official information surrounding coronavirus than fully trust it .

Anastasia Petrova, chief editor of the Delovoy Interes business weekly in the city of Perm 1,400 kilometers east of Moscow, was hospitalized with pneumonia on March 24. Regional health authorities reportedly said that Petrova’s coronavirus diagnosis had not been confirmed until after her death Tuesday.
A 36-year-old Russian journalist died from the coronavirus this week, authorities said on Thursday two days after her passing, drawing criticism for allegedly withholding the news.
“Why was it kept quiet if it was known that she had coronavirus?” Perm region governor Dmitry Makhonin asked at a crisis center session Thursday. “It’s unacceptable to hide information from the public! We shouldn’t lie to people!”
Delovoy Interes, which translates as “Business Interest” from Russian, wrote Wednesday: “We were left without an editor, a colleague, a friend and someone very dear to us.”
“This is the darkest day in the history of Delovoy Interes. We did not believe it when doctors said they couldn’t save Nastya [and] waited for them to say it was an error,” it said.
In her last Facebook post on March 24, Petrova described her treatment as attentive and professional.
“When the intensivist looks thoughtfully at the printout of your analysis, it’s actually very scary,” she wrote.
The Perm region has reported 14 confirmed cases of the highly contagious virus, including one recovery and two deaths. Russia recorded 3,548 coronavirus cases and 30 deaths after its biggest one-day surge in infections Thursday.
Some medical professionals have questioned the reliability of Russia’s coronavirus data because of what they say is unreliable quality of testing. Public polling has also said that more Russians mistrust official information surrounding coronavirus than fully trust it.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-02--Moscow’s Small Businesses Feel the Pinch Under Coronavirus Lockdown

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin imposed an indefinite partial lockdown starting Monday to slow the fast-spreading coronavirus , ordering the city ’ s 12 million residents to stay home and shuttering all non-essential businesses .
As many as nine in 10 of Moscow ’ s restaurants , cafes and bars might not survive the lockdown , an industry representative told the Vedomosti business daily this week .
Moscow ’ s small businesses have temporarily shuttered their doors as the city cracks down on the coronavirus pandemic — but many owners fear that they won ’ t be able to bounce back once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the co-owner of independent coffee shop KofeMOLKA , said that while the government has put measures in place to support businesses during the health crisis , they merely offer a temporary respite to what will be long-reaching problems .
“ We got a so-called ‘ rent holiday , ’ so we ’ re just paying employee salaries and taxes from our savings for as long as we can .
The state offers soft loans to make salary payments.
” “ But you ’ ll have to pay all of this back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I do n't know what will come next .
Many [ businesses ] will have to shut down completely.
” Alexander , the owner of a small auto parts store , told The Moscow Times that the city ’ s quarantine order has been “ devastating ” to his business and warned that it could cripple small businesses in the city completely .
“ We see that many people are running low on money during this quarantine .
Prices will skyrocket [ after quarantine ] , bringing people ’ s purchasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said an official state of emergency from the government would at least stop some “ hardcore ” property owners from collecting rent from crisis-hit entrepreneurs , adding that the government should also order a freeze on utility payments like water and electricity .
Anna , the founder and owner of the Mir Puteshestviy tourism agency , told The Moscow Times that her company began to see a decline in trips abroad starting in February .
After Russia suspended international flights , she shifted the company ’ s focus to domestic tours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once President Vladimir Putin declared a nationwide “ non-working week.
” “ We received a tax delay , but I ’ m not sure whether I will be able to cover these expenses and loan debts after the quarantine ends , ” she said , adding that she thinks it would be “ better to relieve entrepreneurs of paying taxes altogether.
” She said she doubts that Russia ’ s tourism industry will recover from the widespread lockdowns , both domestically and abroad , anytime soon .
“ Most people couldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before this crisis engulfed our country .
After the pandemic , people will keep their savings for basic needs instead of vacations abroad , ” she said , adding that she is already considering closing her company completely .
As Russia ’ s number of confirmed coronavirus cases has steadily risen in recent weeks and Moscow emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak within the country , many locals started self-isolating at home even before the lockdown was introduced .
Sergei Babanin , the founder of a private swimming school , told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the quarantine began .
“ We already started to see a significant decline in customers in January .
I think people just became more alert after the initial news and rumors about the coronavirus started emerging , ” he said , adding that many customers stopped attending classes in recent weeks because they started to work from home .
“ We are now closed indefinitely .
Our coaches can not train or teach remotely — it 's just impossible to develop a good swimming technique over Skype.
” Once the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be a long time before business returns to normal .
“ The majority of our customers can ’ t afford personal swimming lessons .
It is simply a very significant sum of money for their budget .
After the crisis , I expect a further decline , ” Babanin said .

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin imposed an indefinite partial lockdown starting Monday to slow the fast-spreading coronavirus, ordering the city’s 12 million residents to stay home and shuttering all non-essential businesses. As many as nine in 10 of Moscow’s restaurants, cafes and bars might not survive the lockdown, an industry representative told the Vedomosti business daily this week.
Moscow’s small businesses have temporarily shuttered their doors as the city cracks down on the coronavirus pandemic — but many owners fear that they won’t be able to bounce back once the health crisis is over.
Vera, the co-owner of independent coffee shop KofeMOLKA, said that while the government has put measures in place to support businesses during the health crisis, they merely offer a temporary respite to what will be long-reaching problems.
“We got a so-called ‘rent holiday,’ so we’re just paying employee salaries and taxes from our savings for as long as we can. The state offers soft loans to make salary payments.”
“But you’ll have to pay all of this back in the future anyway,” she continued. “I don't know what will come next. Many [businesses] will have to shut down completely.”
Alexander, the owner of a small auto parts store, told The Moscow Times that the city’s quarantine order has been “devastating” to his business and warned that it could cripple small businesses in the city completely.
“We see that many people are running low on money during this quarantine. Prices will skyrocket [after quarantine], bringing people’s purchasing power to zero,” he said.
He said an official state of emergency from the government would at least stop some “hardcore” property owners from collecting rent from crisis-hit entrepreneurs, adding that the government should also order a freeze on utility payments like water and electricity.
Anna, the founder and owner of the Mir Puteshestviy tourism agency, told The Moscow Times that her company began to see a decline in trips abroad starting in February.
After Russia suspended international flights, she shifted the company’s focus to domestic tours, but decided to suspend business indefinitely once President Vladimir Putin declared a nationwide “non-working week.”
“We received a tax delay, but I’m not sure whether I will be able to cover these expenses and loan debts after the quarantine ends,” she said, adding that she thinks it would be “better to relieve entrepreneurs of paying taxes altogether.”
She said she doubts that Russia’s tourism industry will recover from the widespread lockdowns, both domestically and abroad, anytime soon.
“Most people couldn’t afford regular trips to other countries even before this crisis engulfed our country. After the pandemic, people will keep their savings for basic needs instead of vacations abroad,” she said, adding that she is already considering closing her company completely.
As Russia’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases has steadily risen in recent weeks and Moscow emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak within the country, many locals started self-isolating at home even before the lockdown was introduced.
Sergei Babanin, the founder of a private swimming school, told The Moscow Times that business had slowed long before the quarantine began.
“We already started to see a significant decline in customers in January. I think people just became more alert after the initial news and rumors about the coronavirus started emerging,” he said, adding that many customers stopped attending classes in recent weeks because they started to work from home.
“We are now closed indefinitely. Our coaches cannot train or teach remotely — it's just impossible to develop a good swimming technique over Skype.”
Once the coronavirus crisis is over, Babanin said he fears it will be a long time before business returns to normal.
“The majority of our customers can’t afford personal swimming lessons. It is simply a very significant sum of money for their budget. After the crisis, I expect a further decline,” Babanin said.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-03--'A City That Could be the Russian Bergamo.' How Ulyanovsk is Preparing for the Coronavirus Pandemic.

“ Oh , come on !
Virus ?
What virus ?
” Olga , a 35-year-old businesswoman waved her hand dismissively .
“ It ’ s a conspiracy , not a virus .
Whose conspiracy ?
The Chinese , who do you think ?
!
They released it so they could get ahead of Europe and Russia and rule the world .
They ’ ve got a vaccine for it.
” Olga , a native of Ulyanovsk , a city of 600,000 on the Volga River , is parroting a point of view that ’ s popular in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ just sick old people and people with AIDS ” who are dying ; and the whole point of the quarantine is “ to ruin business.
” Ulyanovsk is 850 kilometers southwest of Moscow on a picturesque spot on the Volga .
But the roads are bad , every other streetlight is broken , and the governor encourages residents to give birth on Russia Day to win a UAS jeep .
The jeeps are produced here , in Vladimir Lenin ’ s birthplace .
Tens of millions of Russians live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus , which many people in Ulyanovsk still don ’ t believe in , came to the city unexpectedly .
It was brought in by the son of a deputy in the local regional parliament , Mikhail Rozhkov .
The teenager , who has been attending school in England , flew home , didn ’ t feel well and began to cough .
His influential father whisked him to a hospital — actually , to several hospitals , because it was hard to find the test kits that are supposedly in large supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull to get his son tested .
They found him positive for coronavirus and put him in the local children ’ s infectious diseases hospital .
Rozhkov apologized on Facebook : “ We are truly sorry and very upset that this problem isn ’ t just in our family , but in the entire region .
And we also apologize if we didn ’ t observe self-isolation properly.
” And that ’ s how Ulyanovsk found out about the virus .
Since then the statistics for cases of coronavirus in the region haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But local doctors don ’ t believe those statistics .
And in private conversations , they admit that the region is probably not prepared to handle a large-scale epidemic .
The main public figure reporting on coronavirus is Sergei Morozov , the head of the region .
Every day he tapes a video address with an update on the epidemic .
The city residents say , “ Who else but Morozov is going to do it ?
” That ’ s because the chief specialist in infection diseases for the Ulyanovsk regional health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine herself after coming back from a trip to the UK in March .
The governor is not shy about declaring victory in the battle with the pandemic .
“ We ’ ve been able to win a week — that ’ s a solid amount of time , ” he announced , assuming that the first case of the virus was registered later than in neighboring regions .
But specialists don ’ t think this fact speaks well for the region .
The region is economically depressed , and people travel significantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the relatively wealthier Samara or Kazan regions .
No one really goes anywhere because they can ’ t afford it .
But the governor maintains that the region is completely ready to take on the virus .
He says that there are 203 beds in infectious diseases units , and if need be , their number can be increased to 700 .
The regional health department reports that there are 436 ventilators .
They say they just purchased another 12 and have put in a request for another 250 .
They have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspected of having the virus and insist that “ people in the high-risk group are constantly being tested.
” “ Every day about 100 tests are conducted , ” the governor says .
The authorities quickly organized repairs to the local infectious disease units .
But the money allocated is very modest .
Eight million rubles ( about $ 105,000 ) was allocated from the regional budget to update the infectious diseases units of the Novoulyanovsk city hospital , where residents who coming from abroad are kept for observation if they can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Clinical Hospital is just finishing the first phase of upgrades .
More than 5 million rubles were allocated ( about $ 65,000 ) , but the doctors joke that the sum will pretty much just cover painting the toilets and fixing door latches .
The hospital is an old building in bad shape .
A representative of the regional health department wishing to remain anonymous said that they are painting the walls pink and “ using brackets to pull the cracks in the walls together.
” “ How can you speak about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repair work two weeks ago ?
They haven ’ t even hung all the doors , finished the tiling or laid down linoleum .
They still need to update the ventilation system .
Apparently , the old system was in such bad shape that it barely worked .
All we can do is hope that they won ’ t bring patients here any time soon.
” In the infectious diseases ward at the Clinical Hospital , they ’ ve put down the subflooring for the linoleum , prepped and patched the walls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief doctor , said that in the next phase they plan to connect the 70 wards to a new ventilation system that meets current standards .
But that hasn ’ t been done yet .
Many of the doctors The Moscow Times spoke with said they thought the good “ statistics were exaggerated.
” “ They said that we have 436 ventilators in the region .
But how are they counting them ?
They dragged old ventilators out of storage , including some that just don ’ t work or have been written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to get them up and running .
It ’ s like a kid with crayons : they ’ ve got a hundred of them , but they actually only use a dozen .
It ’ s the same thing here , ” a local doctor familiar with the situation said .
The same doctor also noted that the working ventilators are not tucked away in corners .
“ The virus is one thing .
But no one has called a moratorium on heart attacks , strokes or car accidents .
We always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the doctor explained , “ We can ’ t just put 400 ventilators in one place and work with them .
It ’ s physically impossible .
That ’ s why these figures just make for pretty statistics — to show how great everything is organized , ” the doctor said .
A pediatrician in Ulyanovsk , Dmitry Malykh , told The Moscow Times that there was a catastrophic shortage of personal protective equipment for both medical personnel and residents .
“ There are no medical masks for sale in pharmacies and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suits in medical centers .
I personally buy respirators for my own use with my own money and pay way more than official prices .
There just aren ’ t enough , so the market dictates the price.
” He said that doctors and nurses have been forced to sew their own masks out of diapers and cheesecloth .
And there is now a region-wide shortage of cheesecloth .
Another doctor in one of the city hospitals said that they had been issued disposable robes , “ the kind they sell in hardware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) apiece .
It ’ s a travesty .
We ’ re essentially working without any protection .
The nurses weren ’ t issued anything at all.
” Malykh says that the question most frequently asked by patients is : What can we expect in the near term ?
“ I think the quarantine will be extended for another 3-6 weeks .
I must say that although quarantine measures were instituted late , it looks like they are being enforced .
I believe we can get through this , and I hope that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care will be able to manage this perfect epidemiological storm.
” He said that at present 654 people are under observation .
“ Those are the official figures .
But it ’ s hard to tell if that ’ s the real situation or just something to keep people calm.
” People under observation are not in medical centers but at home , and if their symptoms become worse , they have to contact the health department .
“ This could be the next Bergamo ” Alexei Kuriny , a deputy in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city assembly health committee , told The Moscow Times that the biggest problem is diagnostics .
“ We still don ’ t have a functioning system of screening and so we can ’ t make even approximate estimations of the scale of the problem .
A very small group of people are being tested , and those figures are not likely to give a complete picture of the epidemic here .
And then we need to be able to find the paths of infection and cut them off .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kuriny is a specialist in this area .
A doctor with a Ph.D in medicine , he once headed the Ulyanovsk city ambulance and urgent care service .
In his opinion , if the epidemic follows the “ Italian scenario ” in Russia , the Ulyanovsk region might turn into Bergamo .
“ We don ’ t have enough ventilators , and there are no trustworthy figures on how many we really have .
First , they said there were 325 , then 436 .
But those figures can ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely outdated .
Realistically , I think we could free up less than 100 ventilators , and probably half would break down .
We are also short on parts for them , like valves.
” He also said that a lot of the doctors “ are completely unprotected.
” “ What do you expect when doctors don ’ t even have basic masks ?
There aren ’ t any respirators and protective gear .
We also have a shortage of ICU anesthesiologists .
We have to immediately retrain doctors .
I estimate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of patients tops 800-1,000 , the local health system won ’ t be able to handle it , ” Kuriny said .

Читайте русскую версию здесь. “Oh, come on! Virus? What virus?” Olga, a 35-year-old businesswoman waved her hand dismissively. “It’s a conspiracy, not a virus. Whose conspiracy? The Chinese, who do you think?! They released it so they could get ahead of Europe and Russia and rule the world. They’ve got a vaccine for it.” Olga, a native of Ulyanovsk, a city of 600,000 on the Volga River, is parroting a point of view that’s popular in the city: There is no epidemic; it’s “just sick old people and people with AIDS” who are dying;and the whole point of the quarantine is “to ruin business.” Ulyanovsk is 850 kilometers southwest of Moscow on a picturesque spot on the Volga. But the roads are bad, every other streetlight is broken, and the governor encourages residents to give birth on Russia Day to win a UAS jeep. The jeeps are produced here, in Vladimir Lenin’s birthplace. Tens of millions of Russians live in cities like this all over Russia. Coronavirus, which many people in Ulyanovsk still don’t believe in, came to the city unexpectedly. It was brought in by the son of a deputy in the local regional parliament, Mikhail Rozhkov. The teenager, who has been attending school in England, flew home, didn’t feel well and began to cough. His influential father whisked him to a hospital — actually, to several hospitals, because it was hard to find the test kits that are supposedly in large supply everywhere. The deputy used all his pull to get his son tested. They found him positive for coronavirus and put him in the local children’s infectious diseases hospital. Rozhkov apologized on Facebook: “We are truly sorry and very upset that this problem isn’t just in our family, but in the entire region. And we also apologize if we didn’t observe self-isolation properly.” And that’s how Ulyanovsk found out about the virus. Since then the statistics for cases of coronavirus in the region haven’t changed: one person. But local doctors don’t believe those statistics. And in private conversations, they admit that the region is probably not prepared to handle a large-scale epidemic.
“Painting toilets and fixing door latches”
The main public figure reporting on coronavirus is Sergei Morozov, the head of the region. Every day he tapes a video address with an update on the epidemic. The city residents say, “Who else but Morozov is going to do it?” That’s because the chief specialist in infection diseases for the Ulyanovsk regional health department, Galina Savinova, is under quarantine herself after coming back from a trip to the UK in March. The governor is not shy about declaring victory in the battle with the pandemic. “We’ve been able to win a week — that’s a solid amount of time,” he announced, assuming that the first case of the virus was registered later than in neighboring regions. But specialists don’t think this fact speaks well for the region. The region is economically depressed, and people travel significantly less than, for example, residents of the relatively wealthier Samara or Kazan regions. No one really goes anywhere because they can’t afford it. But the governor maintains that the region is completely ready to take on the virus. He says that there are 203 beds in infectious diseases units, and if need be, their number can be increased to 700. The regional health department reports that there are 436 ventilators. They say they just purchased another 12 and have put in a request for another 250. They have set up three isolation wards for people suspected of having the virus and insist that “people in the high-risk group are constantly being tested.” “Every day about 100 tests are conducted,” the governor says. The authorities quickly organized repairs to the local infectious disease units. But the money allocated is very modest. Eight million rubles (about $105,000) was allocated from the regional budget to update the infectious diseases units of the Novoulyanovsk city hospital, where residents who coming from abroad are kept for observation if they can’t self-isolate at home. The Central City Clinical Hospital is just finishing the first phase of upgrades. More than 5 million rubles were allocated (about $65,000), but the doctors joke that the sum will pretty much just cover painting the toilets and fixing door latches. The hospital is an old building in bad shape. A representative of the regional health department wishing to remain anonymous said that they are painting the walls pink and “using brackets to pull the cracks in the walls together.” “How can you speak about real preparedness if they just started the repair work two weeks ago? They haven’t even hung all the doors, finished the tiling or laid down linoleum. They still need to update the ventilation system. Apparently, the old system was in such bad shape that it barely worked. All we can do is hope that they won’t bring patients here any time soon.” In the infectious diseases ward at the Clinical Hospital, they’ve put down the subflooring for the linoleum, prepped and patched the walls. Ilya Midlenko, the hospital’s chief doctor, said that in the next phase they plan to connect the 70 wards to a new ventilation system that meets current standards. But that hasn’t been done yet.
“Sewing masks out of diapers”
Many of the doctors The Moscow Times spoke with said they thought the good “statistics were exaggerated.” “They said that we have 436 ventilators in the region. But how are they counting them? They dragged old ventilators out of storage, including some that just don’t work or have been written off. And now they’re trying to get them up and running. It’s like a kid with crayons: they’ve got a hundred of them, but they actually only use a dozen. It’s the same thing here,” a local doctor familiar with the situation said. The same doctor also noted that the working ventilators are not tucked away in corners. “The virus is one thing. But no one has called a moratorium on heart attacks, strokes or car accidents. We always have patients on ventilators.” And, the doctor explained, “We can’t just put 400 ventilators in one place and work with them. It’s physically impossible. That’s why these figures just make for pretty statistics — to show how great everything is organized,” the doctor said. A pediatrician in Ulyanovsk, Dmitry Malykh, told The Moscow Times that there was a catastrophic shortage of personal protective equipment for both medical personnel and residents. “There are no medical masks for sale in pharmacies and a complete lack of professional respirators and biohazard suits in medical centers. I personally buy respirators for my own use with my own money and pay way more than official prices. There just aren’t enough, so the market dictates the price.” He said that doctors and nurses have been forced to sew their own masks out of diapers and cheesecloth. And there is now a region-wide shortage of cheesecloth. Another doctor in one of the city hospitals said that they had been issued disposable robes, “the kind they sell in hardware stores for 138 rubles ($1.50) apiece. It’s a travesty. We’re essentially working without any protection. The nurses weren’t issued anything at all.” Malykh says that the question most frequently asked by patients is: What can we expect in the near term? “I think the quarantine will be extended for another 3-6 weeks. I must say that although quarantine measures were instituted late, it looks like they are being enforced. I believe we can get through this, and I hope that the regional and national system of health care will be able to manage this perfect epidemiological storm.” He said that at present 654 people are under observation. “Those are the official figures. But it’s hard to tell if that’s the real situation or just something to keep people calm.” People under observation are not in medical centers but at home, and if their symptoms become worse, they have to contact the health department.
“This could be the next Bergamo”


themoscowtimes--2020-04-03--Did Russia’s Coronavirus Supplies to the U.S. Violate Sanctions?

Footage of the controversial cargo during unloading in New York showed boxes of ventilators made by a subsidiary of Russia ’ s KRET tech firm , itself a subsidiary of sanctioned conglomerate Rostec .
Western sanctions block KRET and its subsidiaries from U.S. markets unless the U.S. Office for Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC ) issues a waiver .
The United States may have violated its own sanctions by purchasing ventilators and other protective gear from Russia to fight the coronavirus pandemic , the RBC news website reported Friday .
“ OFAC can always issue a specific internal license for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the Treasury Department ’ s former senior sanctions adviser Brian O ’ Toole told RBC .
“ But the Trump administration might have not issued any license , ” he was quoted as saying .
O ’ Toole said Russia ’ s state-owned Russian Direct Investment Fund ( RDIF ) , which is subject to less severe U.S. sanctions , may have stepped in to avoid violating U.S. sanctions .
RDIF said it paid half the costs of the Russian supplies after initial confusion over the terms of the deal .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation of sanctions , ” O ’ Toole was quoted as saying .
The U.S. State Department said it bought the entire planeload of the medical equipment .
Russia ’ s Foreign Ministry later said the U.S. had paid for half the cargo , while Russia donated the other half .
KRET told RBC that it delivers ventilators and other anti-coronavirus equipment exclusively to Russia ’ s domestic market .
“ The president and the government have the decisionmaking prerogative to provide international assistance , ” KRET said .
Russia ’ s Defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to disclose the contents of the 60 tons of supplies that touched down in New York on Wednesday .
Neither the U.S. nor Russia specified the financial terms of the deal .
Critics in the U.S. accused the delivery of being an attempt at a propaganda coup for President Vladimir Putin .
Inside Russia , critics derided the government for shipping the supplies abroad despite domestic shortages .
The novel coronavirus pandemic has infected 245,380 Americans and 4,149 Russians , with more than a million cases reported worldwide .

Footage of the controversial cargo during unloading in New York showed boxes of ventilators made by a subsidiary of Russia’s KRET tech firm, itself a subsidiary of sanctioned conglomerate Rostec. Western sanctions block KRET and its subsidiaries from U.S. markets unless the U.S. Office for Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issues a waiver.
The United States may have violated its own sanctions by purchasing ventilators and other protective gear from Russia to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the RBC news website reported Friday.
“OFAC can always issue a specific internal license for a transaction involving a sanctioned party,” the Treasury Department’s former senior sanctions adviser Brian O’Toole told RBC.
“But the Trump administration might have not issued any license,” he was quoted as saying.
O’Toole said Russia’s state-owned Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is subject to less severe U.S. sanctions, may have stepped in to avoid violating U.S. sanctions. RDIF said it paid half the costs of the Russian supplies after initial confusion over the terms of the deal.
“This still should be considered a formal violation of sanctions,” O’Toole was quoted as saying.
The U.S. State Department said it bought the entire planeload of the medical equipment. Russia’s Foreign Ministry later said the U.S. had paid for half the cargo, while Russia donated the other half.
KRET told RBC that it delivers ventilators and other anti-coronavirus equipment exclusively to Russia’s domestic market.
“The president and the government have the decisionmaking prerogative to provide international assistance,” KRET said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry and other senior officials have refused to disclose the contents of the 60 tons of supplies that touched down in New York on Wednesday. Neither the U.S. nor Russia specified the financial terms of the deal.
Critics in the U.S. accused the delivery of being an attempt at a propaganda coup for President Vladimir Putin. Inside Russia, critics derided the government for shipping the supplies abroad despite domestic shortages.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has infected 245,380 Americans and 4,149 Russians, with more than a million cases reported worldwide.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-03--Moscow Church Holds Anti-Coronavirus Procession Despite Stay-at-Home Order

Russian Orthodox priests in Moscow led a religious procession against the coronavirus , seemingly breaking the city 's self-isolation rules @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic .
Russia is currently under a nationwide paid holiday until April 30 @ @ @ @ @ stay at home as much as possible .

Russian Orthodox priests in Moscow led a religious procession against the coronavirus, seemingly breaking the city's self-isolation rules aimed at curbing the spread of the pandemic.
Russia is currently under a nationwide paid holiday until April 30 as authorities urge citizens to stay at home as much as possible.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-03--Moscow Won’t Require QR Code Coronavirus Lockdown Passes, for Now

Sobyanin extended citywide lockdown measures until May 1 immediately after President Vladimir Putin announced a month-long extension of the nationwide paid “ non-working ” period to encourage self-isolation .
Moscow ’ s IT chief said this week that QR codes would start working as soon as city authorities pass a relevant legal act .
Moscow will not enforce its coronavirus quarantine with scannable QR codes , Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Thursday , leaving room for a reversal if residents stop following self-isolation orders during the pandemic .
“ There ’ s no need to impose a pass system for moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on his website .
“ We ’ ll return to this issue if the epidemiological situation worsens or if stay-home regime violations increase .
I really hope that neither will happen , ” he said .
Moscow City Hall added that police could stop car owners , who will be required to show their identification documents and disclose the purpose of their trip .
Under Moscow ’ s stay-at-home order , its 12 million residents are only allowed to go outside for trips to the grocery store or pharmacy , to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pets or to seek emergency medical care .
Violators will be subject to fines of up to 5,000 rubles ( $ 63 ) , according to a city ordinance Sobyanin signed this week .
A federal law signed by Putin punishes quarantine violators by up to seven years in jail if the violation leads to multiple deaths .
The mayor also announced that “ modern technology ” will monitor self-isolation among infected coronavirus patients being treated at home .
Moscow ’ s IT chief , Eduard Lysenko , said Wednesday that the technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Speaking in a televised address Thursday , Putin delegated authority to regional leaders , citing the varying coronavirus infection rates across the country .
Moscow bears the brunt of Russia ’ s 4,149 coronavirus cases with 2,923 infections and 20 out of 34 deaths .
The Nizhny Novgorod region , some 400 kilometers east of Moscow , on Thursday introduced QR codes to allow residents to leave their homes during its lockdown .
The nearby republic of Tatarstan introduced a text-messaging pass system .

Sobyanin extended citywide lockdown measures until May 1 immediately after President Vladimir Putin announced a month-long extension of the nationwide paid “non-working” period to encourage self-isolation. Moscow’s IT chief said this week that QR codes would start working as soon as city authorities pass a relevant legal act.
Moscow will not enforce its coronavirus quarantine with scannable QR codes, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Thursday, leaving room for a reversal if residents stop following self-isolation orders during the pandemic.
“There’s no need to impose a pass system for moving around the city yet,” Sobyanin said on his website.
“We’ll return to this issue if the epidemiological situation worsens or if stay-home regime violations increase. I really hope that neither will happen,” he said.
Moscow City Hall added that police could stop car owners, who will be required to show their identification documents and disclose the purpose of their trip.
Under Moscow’s stay-at-home order, its 12 million residents are only allowed to go outside for trips to the grocery store or pharmacy, to take out the trash, to walk their pets or to seek emergency medical care.
Violators will be subject to fines of up to 5,000 rubles ($63), according to a city ordinance Sobyanin signed this week. A federal law signed by Putin punishes quarantine violators by up to seven years in jail if the violation leads to multiple deaths.
The mayor also announced that “modern technology” will monitor self-isolation among infected coronavirus patients being treated at home. Moscow’s IT chief, Eduard Lysenko, said Wednesday that the technology takes the form of a smartphone app.
Speaking in a televised address Thursday, Putin delegated authority to regional leaders, citing the varying coronavirus infection rates across the country. Moscow bears the brunt of Russia’s 4,149 coronavirus cases with 2,923 infections and 20 out of 34 deaths.
The Nizhny Novgorod region, some 400 kilometers east of Moscow, on Thursday introduced QR codes to allow residents to leave their homes during its lockdown. The nearby republic of Tatarstan introduced a text-messaging pass system.


themoscowtimes--2020-04-03--Russia’s Leading Climate Change Expert Gives Sober Prognosis

Russia ’ s top climate scientist Dr. Vladimir Kattsov is confident that serious environmental changes lie in store this century .
“ Russia is among the countries where the average warming greatly exceeds the global average , and Russia is warming especially quickly the closer you get to the Arctic , ” Kattsov , 58 , told The Moscow Times in an interview in the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory in St. Petersburg , the country ’ s oldest meteorological institution .
“ Among the most obvious and dangerous consequences will be an increase in high-impact weather events.
” The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kattsov heads , with forecasting the effects of climate change across Russia .
Kattsov is also a regular contributor to government policy papers on climate change and the UN ’ s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) .
The observatory develops physico-mathematical models of expected climate change in Russia , using supercomputers and meteorological data gathered through a network of stations across the country .
Kattsov said the data shows there has already been a noticeable increase in extreme weather events in Russia since he first joined the field in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how climate change would play out have received more and more confirmation over the years , ” Kattsov said .
“ We now have sufficient basis to say that the projections we made all those years ago are being confirmed.
” How has Russia ’ s climate already changed ?
Apart from Russia warming at 2.5 times the global average since the 1970s , Kattsov said a more dangerous phenomenon has been the increase in temperature variability — meaning more frequent spikes and troughs in hotter or colder directions .
This trend is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is harder to predict and prepare for , and it also contributes to catastrophes like floods and droughts .
According to a 2017 report about climate risks in Russia edited by Kattsov for the Climate Center of Roshydromet — Russia ’ s federal service for hydrometeorology and environmental monitoring of which the Voeikov Observatory is a part — there has been a marked increase in the number of temperature anomalies in Russia since the 1970s amid the pronounced increase in the surface air temperature .
Kattsov chooses his words carefully when assessing past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grounding many statements in terms of probability and degrees of confidence .
“ Science can ’ t say that a particular weather event , like the heat wave of 2010 or the abnormally warm winter of 2019 , is a concrete manifestation of global warming or climate change , ” he explained .
“ Climate change can only be seen in changes in weather statistics — when the number of extreme and dangerous weather events changes significantly in any particular direction.
” Despite this , he says the data paints a clear picture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there is a very high probability that the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will continue to be exacerbated as a result .
Because of Russia ’ s immense size and geographical diversity , the effects of climate change will be multifaceted , with each region being vulnerable in its own way .
However , one factor that is very likely to affect all Russian regions is an increase in average annual temperature , especially in the winter months and in northern regions .
To help illustrate the possible future dangers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regions , the Climate Center of Roshydromet has published models illustrating how parameters including temperature are likely to change over the coming century , depending on the world ’ s greenhouse gas emissions .
In a high emission “ worst-case scenario ” model , every single Russian region is expected to be affected by huge temperature increases , with some experiencing average winter temperature increases of as high as 11 degrees Celsius by the end of the century .
In a more favorable scenario , temperatures are expected to rise anywhere up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential severe weather events in the models , an increase in the number , length and intensity of heat waves across Russia over this century is most strongly supported by the data , Kattsov said .
Floods , meanwhile , are most likely to affect Siberia and the Far East , exacerbated by increased precipitation including downpours in some regions and increased amounts of snow that will melt in shorter periods of time , producing spring floods , in other regions .
Kattsov added that a combination of dry spells and temperature increases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forest fires and droughts .
“ Sometimes people miss the fact that very different phenomena — like floods in one part of the country and heat waves or forest fires in another — can be consequences of a common cause , ” he said .
Another ticking time-bomb is the melting permafrost , which covers nearly two thirds of Russia ’ s territory .
As the permafrost melts , infrastructure like roads , pipes , heating systems and houses is likely to be ravaged .
Meanwhile , large concentrations of methane and carbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be released , further exacerbating global warming .
The speed and consequences of these releases are the key questions for climate science today .
Russia is also expected to face new risks that are hard to predict , including possible storm surges in the Arctic Sea as well as new parasites and diseases as temperatures increase .
Despite the negative impacts , Kattsov said the warming climate might give Russia some new opportunities , including increased maritime trade along the Northern Sea Route , more accessibility to the Arctic shelf and its resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ These opportunities aren ’ t clear-cut and they ’ re not a reason to passively applaud climate change , ” Kattsov says , “ but it makes sense to undertake efforts to use them as much as we can.
” Russia ’ s national plan to adapt to climate change , published earlier this year — which the Voeikov Observatory contributed to — is the latest government document that mentions these opportunities .
Striking a balance between mitigating the effects of climate change and adaptation has been a key component of Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first climate strategy was published in 2009 .
“ Humanity has realized that there are certain inevitable consequences of climate change and that we won ’ t be able to put a halt to them anytime soon , ” Kattsov said .
“ That ’ s why , regardless of whether there is an international agreement or not , adaptation to climate change is an absolute necessity for Russia.
” When asked if he is worried about climate change , Kattsov said he is , but added that a calm and sober @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s capabilities .
“ I think we have a very serious basis for concern , this is a real challenge for humanity and the situation is quite worrying , ” he said .
“ But I also don ’ t think there ’ s a reason to panic or take extreme actions , ” he says .
“ A cool head and sober view of things is much more constructive than any alarmist signals—even if they ’ re the result of good intentions.
” Looking forward , he said Russia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right direction , and he is encouraged about the role that climate scientists will play .
“ I ’ m an optimist in the sense that our understanding of the situation is getting better , and we ’ re on the right path in terms of prognosis and ascertaining the facts , ” he said .

Russia’s top climate scientist Dr. Vladimir Kattsov is confident that serious environmental changes lie in store this century. “Russia is among the countries where the average warming greatly exceeds the global average, and Russia is warming especially quickly the closer you get to the Arctic,” Kattsov, 58, told The Moscow Times in an interview in the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory in St. Petersburg, the country’s oldest meteorological institution. “Among the most obvious and dangerous consequences will be an increase in high-impact weather events.” The government has tasked the Voeikov Observatory, which Kattsov heads, with forecasting the effects of climate change across Russia. Kattsov is also a regular contributor to government policy papers on climate change and the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The observatory develops physico-mathematical models of expected climate change in Russia, using supercomputers and meteorological data gathered through a network of stations across the country. Kattsov said the data shows there has already been a noticeable increase in extreme weather events in Russia since he first joined the field in the 1980s. “Our initial understandings of how climate change would play out have received more and more confirmation over the years,” Kattsov said. “We now have sufficient basis to say that the projections we made all those years ago are being confirmed.” How has Russia’s climate already changed? Apart from Russia warming at 2.5 times the global average since the 1970s, Kattsov said a more dangerous phenomenon has been the increase in temperature variability — meaning more frequent spikes and troughs in hotter or colder directions. This trend is more damaging than gradual warming because it is harder to predict and prepare for, and it also contributes to catastrophes like floods and droughts. According to a 2017 report about climate risks in Russia edited by Kattsov for the Climate Center of Roshydromet — Russia’s federal service for hydrometeorology and environmental monitoring of which the Voeikov Observatory is a part — there has been a marked increase in the number of temperature anomalies in Russia since the 1970s amid the pronounced increase in the surface air temperature.
Surface temperature anomalies in Russia compared to average for 1961-1990. From Roshydromet's annual 2020 climate report
Meanwhile, there has also been a near doubling in the number of extreme weather events in the country over the past two decades.
Annual number of dangerous hydrometereological events in Russia that caused significant damage to the economy or population. Report on Climate Risks on the territory of the Russian Federation, 2017. Published by the Climate Center of Roshydromet
Kattsov chooses his words carefully when assessing past and expected climate change, hedging and grounding many statements in terms of probability and degrees of confidence. “Science can’t say that a particular weather event, like the heat wave of 2010 or the abnormally warm winter of 2019, is a concrete manifestation of global warming or climate change,” he explained. “Climate change can only be seen in changes in weather statistics — when the number of extreme and dangerous weather events changes significantly in any particular direction.” Despite this, he says the data paints a clear picture: Russia’s climate is changing and there is a very high probability that the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will continue to be exacerbated as a result. What’s in store? Because of Russia’s immense size and geographical diversity, the effects of climate change will be multifaceted, with each region being vulnerable in its own way. However, one factor that is very likely to affect all Russian regions is an increase in average annual temperature, especially in the winter months and in northern regions. To help illustrate the possible future dangers to policy makers across Russia’s regions, the Climate Center of Roshydromet has published models illustrating how parameters including temperature are likely to change over the coming century, depending on the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. In a high emission “worst-case scenario” model, every single Russian region is expected to be affected by huge temperature increases, with some experiencing average winter temperature increases of as high as 11 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. In a more favorable scenario, temperatures are expected to rise anywhere up to 4.7 degrees Celsius.
Projected changes in Russia's average winter temperature in 2090-2099 based on RCP 8.5 emissions. The analysis of climate change projections for the territory of the Russian Federation in the 21st century using CMIP5 models was obtained and presented as part of the work of the Climate Center of Roshydromet on the basis of the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory
Of all the potential severe weather events in the models, an increase in the number, length and intensity of heat waves across Russia over this century is most strongly supported by the data, Kattsov said. Floods, meanwhile, are most likely to affect Siberia and the Far East, exacerbated by increased precipitation including downpours in some regions and increased amounts of snow that will melt in shorter periods of time, producing spring floods, in other regions. Kattsov added that a combination of dry spells and temperature increases can also be expected, with accompanying forest fires and droughts. “Sometimes people miss the fact that very different phenomena — like floods in one part of the country and heat waves or forest fires in another — can be consequences of a common cause,” he said.
Dr. Vladimir Kattsov. Valery Sharifulin / TASS


themoscowtimes--2020-04-03--U.S. Arrests Cash-Flaunting Russian Rapper for Cryptocurrency Laundering

Maxim Boyko , 29 , was arrested at a Miami condo Saturday , according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , after arriving in the U.S. with his wife in January .
The FBI alleged that Boyko , who told customs agents that his earnings come from Bitcoin investments and rental properties in Russia , is a “ significant cybercriminal ” who launders stolen funds for other cybercriminals .
The FBI has arrested a Russian rapper in the United States on cryptocurrency laundering charges after finding photographs of him flashing large sums of money on social media , authorities have said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media and Apple iCloud accounts include photographs of him with substantial sums of U.S. and foreign currencies dating back as far as 2015 , ” an FBI agent said in a request for an arrest warrant on March 27 .
The FBI traced his iCloud account , which used his rap alias Plinofficial , to one of the oldest cryptocurrency exchanges BTC-e .
It said Boyko ’ s account had received almost $ 388,000 and withdrawn 136 Bitcoin until authorities seized BTC-e in mid-2017 .
The FBI detailed other fraudulent transactions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged to be linked to an organized crime group known as QQAAZZ .
The FBI alleges that it facilitated the theft of “ tens of millions of dollars.
” Boyko faces up to 10 years in prison .
Plinofficial was active on social media as late as this weekend , tweeting about Miami resembling “ zombieland ” due to the coronavirus outbreak and publishing a new freestyle track .

Maxim Boyko, 29, was arrested at a Miami condo Saturday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, after arriving in the U.S. with his wife in January. The FBI alleged that Boyko, who told customs agents that his earnings come from Bitcoin investments and rental properties in Russia, is a “significant cybercriminal” who launders stolen funds for other cybercriminals.
The FBI has arrested a Russian rapper in the United States on cryptocurrency laundering charges after finding photographs of him flashing large sums of money on social media, authorities have said.
“[Boyko’s] Instagram social media and Apple iCloud accounts include photographs of him with substantial sums of U.S. and foreign currencies dating back as far as 2015,” an FBI agent said in a request for an arrest warrant on March 27.
The FBI traced his iCloud account, which used his rap alias Plinofficial, to one of the oldest cryptocurrency exchanges BTC-e. It said Boyko’s account had received almost $388,000 and withdrawn 136 Bitcoin until authorities seized BTC-e in mid-2017. The FBI detailed other fraudulent transactions in and after 2017.
Boyko is also alleged to be linked to an organized crime group known as QQAAZZ. The FBI alleges that it facilitated the theft of “tens of millions of dollars.”
Boyko faces up to 10 years in prison.
Plinofficial was active on social media as late as this weekend, tweeting about Miami resembling “zombieland” due to the coronavirus outbreak and publishing a new freestyle track.