MOSCOW, Apr 14 (NNN-TASS) – Russia may resort to its military resources, in the fight against COVID-19, if the situation in the country continues to worsen, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said Monday.
“The Defence Ministry is working, I repeat, quite efficiently, but it is using only a fraction of what it has, and it is involved abroad, while the main resources are still in reserve,” Putin said, at a meeting with senior government officials involved in the battle against COVID-19.
The situation in Russia is worsening, with a rising number of infections, he said.
Russia registered a total of 18,328 cases of COVID-19 as of Monday, with the number of infected rising by a new daily record of 2,558, and the death toll reaching 148.
Russia has sent medical military specialists, testing devices and protection gear to Italy and Serbia, to help these countries combat the disease.
Putin also said that the government has allocated additional funds to the Defence Ministry, to build new infectious disease hospitals, in various regions across the country, which could be used to treat civilians.
Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, said last week, that the ministry received 8.8 billion rubles (around 120 million U.S. dollars) from the state budget, to build 16 multi-functional medical centres, which will be commissioned between Apr 20 and May 15.– NNN-TASS
