themoscowtimes--2020-11-27--Russian Military Launches Coronavirus Vaccination Campaign

More than 2,500 Russian soldiers have been vaccinated so far , Shoigu said , projecting that number to go up to 80,000 by the end of the year .
Shoigu himself received the Sputnik V vaccine in September , less than a month after President Vladimir Putin announced that the two-shot jab had received government approval .
Russia 's military has launched a coronavirus vaccine campaign among nearly half a million of its active-duty personnel , Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Friday .
“ In total , it ’ s planned to vaccinate more than 400,000 military personnel , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a board meeting .
Shoigu said the campaign follows an order from Putin .
Around 120 paid Russian contract soldiers were involved in civilian and military studies of a frozen form of Sputnik V earlier this year .
The adenoviral vaccine is currently undergoing Phase 3 post-registration clinical trials among 40,000 volunteers in Moscow in parallel with inoculation of high-risk groups of medics and teachers in Russia 's regions .
Shoigu also announced that more than 500 vaccinated soldiers with high antibodies are involved in plasma therapy for severe Covid-19 pneumonia cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Covid-19 since the start of Russia 's outbreak in March , according to the Defense Ministry .
It said a total of 17,203 Armed Forces personnel have recovered so far .

More than 2,500 Russian soldiers have been vaccinated so far, Shoigu said, projecting that number to go up to 80,000 by the end of the year. Shoigu himself received the Sputnik V vaccine in September, less than a month after President Vladimir Putin announced that the two-shot jab had received government approval.
Russia's military has launched a coronavirus vaccine campaign among nearly half a million of its active-duty personnel, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Friday.
“In total, it’s planned to vaccinate more than 400,000 military personnel,” Interfax quoted the minister as saying at a board meeting.
Shoigu said the campaign follows an order from Putin.
Around 120 paid Russian contract soldiers were involved in civilian and military studies of a frozen form of Sputnik V earlier this year. The adenoviral vaccine is currently undergoing Phase 3 post-registration clinical trials among 40,000 volunteers in Moscow in parallel with inoculation of high-risk groups of medics and teachers in Russia's regions.
Shoigu also announced that more than 500 vaccinated soldiers with high antibodies are involved in plasma therapy for severe Covid-19 pneumonia cases.
More than 4,100 soldiers have tested positive for Covid-19 since the start of Russia's outbreak in March, according to the Defense Ministry. It said a total of 17,203 Armed Forces personnel have recovered so far.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-27--Russian Airline Blamed for Phallic Flight Path – Report

Russia ’ s Pobeda low-cost airline was behind a phallic flight path made in support of the national football team captain after he was embroiled in a sex video scandal , the RBC news website reported Thursday , citing a federal aviation report .
Russia ’ s Federal Air Transportation Agency ( Rosaviatsia ) said the Nov. 11 Moscow-Yekaterinburg flight with 102 passengers onboard could have posed a safety hazard .
Pobeda said at the time that the pilots likely performed the maneuver to show their support for national team captain Artyom Dzyuba , whose selfie masturbation video had leaked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pobeda ’ s management for the incident , saying the penis-shaped flight path violated safety rules , according to RBC .
Pobeda is a subsidiary of Russia ’ s flagship carrier Aeroflot .
Rosaviatsia ’ s commission uncovered that Pobeda failed to get a similar path approved for a Moscow-St. Petersburg flight on Nov. 10 , RBC reported .
The airline allegedly told police afterwards that the Boeing 737-800 , which reportedly has no fuel drainage system , needed to take that flight path to drain fuel .
The Rosaviatsia commission reportedly said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions ” by Pobeda ’ s management .
According to the Baza Telegram channel , which also cited the Rosaviatsia report , Nov. 10 transcripts allegedly showed pilots thanking flight control for blocking the phallic-shaped pattern they had sought to perform “ against their will.
” Rosaviatsia urged Aeroflot to examine the Pobeda airline management ’ s “ suitability for the job , ” according to the reports .

Russia’s Pobeda low-cost airline was behind a phallic flight path made in support of the national football team captain after he was embroiled in a sex video scandal, the RBC news website reported Thursday, citing a federal aviation report. Russia’s Federal Air Transportation Agency (Rosaviatsia) said the Nov. 11 Moscow-Yekaterinburg flight with 102 passengers onboard could have posed a safety hazard. Pobeda said at the time that the pilots likely performed the maneuver to show their support for national team captain Artyom Dzyuba, whose selfie masturbation video had leaked days earlier.
✈ Пилот «Победы» поддержал Артема Дзюбу небесным «нефритовым стержнем» pic.twitter.com/IHwCXmQ7xS — Артем (@A_Yuzhakov) November 11, 2020
A Rosaviatsia commission blamed Pobeda’s management for the incident, saying the penis-shaped flight path violated safety rules, according to RBC. Pobeda is a subsidiary of Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot. Rosaviatsia’s commission uncovered that Pobeda failed to get a similar path approved for a Moscow-St. Petersburg flight on Nov. 10, RBC reported. The airline allegedly told police afterwards that the Boeing 737-800, which reportedly has no fuel drainage system, needed to take that flight path to drain fuel.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-27--Russia Says India to Produce 100M Doses of Sputnik Coronavirus Vaccine

`` Hetero , one of India 's leading generic pharmaceutical companies , have agreed to produce in India over 100 million doses per year of the world 's first registered vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection — Sputnik V , '' the Russian Direct Investment Fund ( RDIF ) said in a statement , adding that production was expected to start in early 2021 .
One of the developers of Russia 's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine announced Friday that India-based drugmaker Hetero will produce over 100 million doses of the jab .
Earlier this week , Russia said interim results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine was 95 % effective , similar to other international vaccine makers that have also published test results showing efficacy rates of 90 % and higher .
Russia also announced that the Sputnik V vaccine will be priced at $ 10 per dose on international markets , costing less than some other registered Covid-19 vaccines .
Russia was the first country to announce the registration of a coronavirus vaccine in August — dubbed Sputnik V after the Soviet-era satellite — but did so ahead of large-scale clinical trials .
Currently the third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with some 40,000 volunteers involved in blind testing of the vaccine that uses two different human adenovirus vectors .
According to Friday 's statement , their use `` allows for a stronger and longer-term immune response '' compared to vaccines that use the same vector in both its doses .
Third phase trials are also underway in the ex-Soviet republic of Belarus , the UAE and Venezuela among other countries .
Apart from India , the RDIF says Sputnik V will also be produced in Brazil , China and South Korea .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ should become an integral part of the national vaccine portfolio of every country willing to protect its population from the coronavirus , '' RDIF head Kirill Dmitriyev was quoted as saying in Friday 's statement .

"Hetero, one of India's leading generic pharmaceutical companies, have agreed to produce in India over 100 million doses per year of the world's first registered vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection — Sputnik V," the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement, adding that production was expected to start in early 2021.
One of the developers of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine announced Friday that India-based drugmaker Hetero will produce over 100 million doses of the jab.
Earlier this week, Russia said interim results from the Sputnik V clinical trails showed the vaccine was 95% effective, similar to other international vaccine makers that have also published test results showing efficacy rates of 90% and higher.
Russia also announced that the Sputnik V vaccine will be priced at $10 per dose on international markets, costing less than some other registered Covid-19 vaccines.
Russia was the first country to announce the registration of a coronavirus vaccine in August — dubbed Sputnik V after the Soviet-era satellite — but did so ahead of large-scale clinical trials.
Currently the third and final phase of trials is underway, with some 40,000 volunteers involved in blind testing of the vaccine that uses two different human adenovirus vectors.
According to Friday's statement, their use "allows for a stronger and longer-term immune response" compared to vaccines that use the same vector in both its doses.
Third phase trials are also underway in the ex-Soviet republic of Belarus, the UAE and Venezuela among other countries.
Apart from India, the RDIF says Sputnik V will also be produced in Brazil, China and South Korea.
"I am confident that Sputnik V should become an integral part of the national vaccine portfolio of every country willing to protect its population from the coronavirus," RDIF head Kirill Dmitriyev was quoted as saying in Friday's statement.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-27--Russia Breaks Coronavirus Record With 27K New Infections

Health officials reported 27,543 new infections across all Russian regions Friday , bringing the total caseload to 2,215,533 — the fourth-highest in the world behind Brazil , India and the United States .
Russia has confirmed more than 27,000 coronavirus infections in a single day for the first time since the start of the pandemic , the latest record amid the country ’ s record-setting second wave that is straining regional healthcare systems .
More than one-fifth of those infected did not exhibit symptoms .
Moscow also reported a record 7,918 coronavirus cases , followed by St. Petersburg with 3,687 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic shifts to Russia ’ s poorly funded regions .
Health authorities reported 496 coronavirus deaths nationwide over the past 24 hours — one day after seeing a record 524 deaths — pushing the total death toll to 38,558 .
This fall ’ s surge in cases and deaths has overwhelmed healthcare systems in Russia ’ s regions , with shortages of beds , equipment and medicine reported .
Russia has avoided reintroducing strict lockdown measures seen in other parts of Europe despite the surge , pinning hopes on a domestically made vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have reinstated a nationwide mask mandate and some Russian regions extended targeted stay-at-home and remote-work restrictions .

Health officials reported 27,543 new infections across all Russian regions Friday, bringing the total caseload to 2,215,533 — the fourth-highest in the world behind Brazil, India and the United States.
Russia has confirmed more than 27,000 coronavirus infections in a single day for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the latest record amid the country’s record-setting second wave that is straining regional healthcare systems.
More than one-fifth of those infected did not exhibit symptoms.
Moscow also reported a record 7,918 coronavirus cases, followed by St. Petersburg with 3,687 cases as the second wave of the pandemic shifts to Russia’s poorly funded regions.
Health authorities reported 496 coronavirus deaths nationwide over the past 24 hours — one day after seeing a record 524 deaths — pushing the total death toll to 38,558.
This fall’s surge in cases and deaths has overwhelmed healthcare systems in Russia’s regions, with shortages of beds, equipment and medicine reported.
Russia has avoided reintroducing strict lockdown measures seen in other parts of Europe despite the surge, pinning hopes on a domestically made vaccine expected in the coming weeks.
Authorities have reinstated a nationwide mask mandate and some Russian regions extended targeted stay-at-home and remote-work restrictions.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-27--Moscow Reports 300% Spike in Coronavirus Deaths

In September , the city 's health department said Covid-19 was the direct cause of death among 543 Muscovites .
As the second wave of the virus escalated in October , Moscow ’ s health department said coronavirus was the main cause in 2,235 deaths that month .
That ’ s 311 % , or four times , more than the number in September .
Another 1,338 Muscovites tested positive for Covid-19 but died from other causes in October , the health department said , bringing Moscow ’ s overall number of coronavirus-related deaths for the month to 3,573 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ October — 2,541 more than in September , 3,262 more than in October 2019 and 3,173 more than the past three-year average .
The Moscow health department said the Covid-19 deaths “ explain all excess mortality for October.
” Moscow 's overall Covid-19 fatality rate totaled 2.13 % when it was the sole cause of death and 4.3 % when the disease was not the main cause of death .
Russia ’ s coronavirus information center places Moscow ’ s overall Covid-19 death toll at 8,603 and the national death toll at 38,062 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undercounted .
The epicenter of Russia ’ s outbreak , Moscow has registered more than a quarter of the country 's nearly 2.2 million coronavirus cases .
Moscow has reported record numbers of Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations in recent days .
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin , who extended some of the remote work and self-isolation restrictions into the new year , said earlier Thursday that the city does not plan to go into full lockdown .

In September, the city's health department said Covid-19 was the direct cause of death among 543 Muscovites.
As the second wave of the virus escalated in October, Moscow’s health department said coronavirus was the main cause in 2,235 deaths that month. That’s 311%, or four times, more than the number in September.
Another 1,338 Muscovites tested positive for Covid-19 but died from other causes in October, the health department said, bringing Moscow’s overall number of coronavirus-related deaths for the month to 3,573.
A total of 13,718 Muscovites died in October — 2,541 more than in September, 3,262 more than in October 2019 and 3,173 more than the past three-year average. The Moscow health department said the Covid-19 deaths “explain all excess mortality for October.”
Moscow's overall Covid-19 fatality rate totaled 2.13% when it was the sole cause of death and 4.3% when the disease was not the main cause of death.
Russia’s coronavirus information center places Moscow’s overall Covid-19 death toll at 8,603 and the national death toll at 38,062, a number widely thought to be undercounted.
The epicenter of Russia’s outbreak, Moscow has registered more than a quarter of the country's nearly 2.2 million coronavirus cases. Moscow has reported record numbers of Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations in recent days.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who extended some of the remote work and self-isolation restrictions into the new year, said earlier Thursday that the city does not plan to go into full lockdown.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-27--Russia to Pay Med Students $260 for Treating Coronavirus Patients

Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said 60,296 students “ not in full-time positions but in practical training at medical organizations ” will receive 10,000 rubles ( $ 130 ) in November and another payment of the same amount in December .
Medical students on the front lines of Russia ’ s coronavirus response will receive $ 260 in payouts before the end of the year , news agencies quoted a senior cabinet official overseeing Russia ’ s virus response as saying Friday .
Another 5,382 vocational school students will receive 7,000 rubles ( $ 91 ) for each of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news agency quoted Golikova as saying .
“ The authorized federal authorities will hand out these payments in late November-December 2020 , ” she said during a videoconference with regional governors .
Golikova urged the governors to issue payments of the same amounts to non-federal students involved in their regions ’ Covid-19 response efforts .
“ The needed financial resources are available , ” she was quoted as saying .
“ We have transferred 10 billion rubles [ $ 131.5 million ] to you , which you can spend on any coronavirus-related activities.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s coronavirus outbreak this fall has shifted from Moscow to Russia 's regions , which generally have poorly funded healthcare systems .
At the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in spring , Russian medical students reported being forcefully marched to the front lines at overwhelmed coronavirus hospitals for “ practical training.
” Moscow ’ s Health Department had said in April that student medical workers would earn around $ 1,500 per month and be able to choose from a “ variety of jobs.
” Students said they were skeptical of being paid that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salary for a nurse in Moscow ranges below $ 1,000 .

Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said 60,296 students “not in full-time positions but in practical training at medical organizations” will receive 10,000 rubles ($130) in November and another payment of the same amount in December.
Medical students on the front lines of Russia’s coronavirus response will receive $260 in payouts before the end of the year, news agencies quoted a senior cabinet official overseeing Russia’s virus response as saying Friday.
Another 5,382 vocational school students will receive 7,000 rubles ($91) for each of the two months, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted Golikova as saying.
“The authorized federal authorities will hand out these payments in late November-December 2020,” she said during a videoconference with regional governors.
Golikova urged the governors to issue payments of the same amounts to non-federal students involved in their regions’ Covid-19 response efforts.
“The needed financial resources are available,” she was quoted as saying. “We have transferred 10 billion rubles [$131.5 million] to you, which you can spend on any coronavirus-related activities.”
The second wave of Russia’s coronavirus outbreak this fall has shifted from Moscow to Russia's regions, which generally have poorly funded healthcare systems.
At the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in spring, Russian medical students reported being forcefully marched to the front lines at overwhelmed coronavirus hospitals for “practical training.”
Moscow’s Health Department had said in April that student medical workers would earn around $1,500 per month and be able to choose from a “variety of jobs.”
Students said they were skeptical of being paid that much, considering that the average monthly salary for a nurse in Moscow ranges below $1,000.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-28--Karabakh Rivals Adjust to Life Along New Borders

Pomegranate harvest is in full swing on a field Zhorik Grigoryan nearly lost in the recent fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Azerbaijani forces were just 50 meters ( less than a mile ) away from the farmer 's land in the eastern Martuni district when a Moscow-brokered peace deal halted weeks of clashes over the restive region and saw the deployment of Russian peacekeepers there .
`` There is no fear .
( Armenian ) soldiers are positioned on the ceasefire line , Russian troops are present , '' Grigoryan tells AFP , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future '' .
The 73-year-old farmer keeps a watchful eye over a dozen young men from the village of Berdashen as they fill large sacks with the dark red fruit that will be sent to the Armenian capital Yerevan to make juice and wine .
A short distance from the pomegranate field , Azerbaijani and Armenian soldiers are standing guard close to a road that runs from Martuni to Aghdam , a district in the north that Armenian separatists ceded to Azerbaijan .
In late September fresh clashes broke out between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armenian enclave that broke from Baku 's control in a war in the 1990s .
Under the truce signed on November 9 , Azerbaijan reclaimed swathes of territory that for three decades were controlled by Armenian separatists .
Not far from the road to Aghdam , an Azerbaijani flag attached to a utility pole flutters above a makeshift guard post with only a tent and stacked tyres to protect a handful of soldiers on duty .
On the opposite side , 15 Armenian soldiers have also set up an equally simple camp .

Pomegranate harvest is in full swing on a field Zhorik Grigoryan nearly lost in the recent fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Azerbaijani forces were just 50 meters (less than a mile) away from the farmer's land in the eastern Martuni district when a Moscow-brokered peace deal halted weeks of clashes over the restive region and saw the deployment of Russian peacekeepers there.
"There is no fear. (Armenian) soldiers are positioned on the ceasefire line, Russian troops are present," Grigoryan tells AFP, adding: "But we are concerned about the future."
The 73-year-old farmer keeps a watchful eye over a dozen young men from the village of Berdashen as they fill large sacks with the dark red fruit that will be sent to the Armenian capital Yerevan to make juice and wine.
A short distance from the pomegranate field, Azerbaijani and Armenian soldiers are standing guard close to a road that runs from Martuni to Aghdam, a district in the north that Armenian separatists ceded to Azerbaijan.
In late September fresh clashes broke out between the ex-Soviet rivals over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave that broke from Baku's control in a war in the 1990s.
Under the truce signed on Nov. 9, Azerbaijan reclaimed swathes of territory that for three decades were controlled by Armenian separatists.
New borders
Not far from the road to Aghdam, an Azerbaijani flag attached to a utility pole flutters above a makeshift guard post with only a tent and stacked tyres to protect a handful of soldiers on duty.
On the opposite side, 15 Armenian soldiers have also set up an equally simple camp.