Russian President Vladimir Putin said that if necessary, funds from the Ministry of Defense will need to be used to combat coronavirus.
“The situation is changing every day and unfortunately not for the better. The number of sick people is increasing, with more cases of a severe course of the disease. To continue being proactive, professional prognosis is needed. I ask the government to update the prognosis and report it to me daily. All possibilities must be borne in mind, including the Ministry of Defense which if required, can and should be used,” Putin said at the meeting on the sanitary-epidemiological situation in the country.
According to the head of state, the Ministry of Defense “has gained experience in difficult conditions”, and this “experience needs to be used». Putin noted that those forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense that are involved in foreign countries in the fight against coronavirus are «only a fraction of what it is.» “The main reserves are still preserved,” the president added.
Putin also said that «Ministry of Defense has already launched work on the construction of new medical institutions in the regions, which can be used soon.»
In total, 18 328 cases of coronavirus in 82 regions are registered in Russia today. Over the entire period, 148 deaths were recorded, 1 thousand 470 people recovered.
Photo: Kremlin Press Service