Kremlin Cares More about Saving Its Reputation than Saving Russians from Pandemic, Feldman Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, March 30 – “All methods of combatting the coronavirus in the Russian Federation are pursuing a single goal – saving the image of the state at any price” regardless of how many Russians become infected or die, according to Kaliningrad journalist Mikhail Feldman.

            The first line in the Kremlin’s defense is simply lying, he says. Many domestic experts say that the number of cases in the Russian Federation is vastly higher than Moscow admits. The second is not testing. Without tests, it is possible to ascribe to the flu or pneumonia what is in fact the spread of the pandemic (region.expert/covid-kenig/).

            Moreover, Russian tests are inadequate; and despite claims, they aren’t being offered free at least beyond the ring road. In Kaliningrad, Feldman points out, people have to pay and many are too poor to pay or to travel to the only test site. And there is little evidence the authorities are seeking to identify those who have been in contact with infected people and have them tested.

            The third of Moscow’s defense is to ignore the threat that China posed and continues to pose in favor of attacking Western countries, Feldman continues. Moscow doesn’t want to offend Beijing and so accepts its assurances that all is well and continues to list the US and the Western European countries as the source of the problem.

            The fourth line is to deny that there are any “hotspots” within the Russian Federation and take action to prevent the spread from them to other places. It is common ground in the medical profession that Moscow is one such place, but its people have been allowed to travel and thus infect others.

            In the case of Kaliningrad, Feldman says, at least four people have been infected by coming into contact with Russian officials dispatched from the center.

            And the fifth line is to deploy the siloviki against doctors who suggest the official version of events isn’t true. Anastasiya Vasiliyeva, head of the Doctors’ Alliance, said that the situation in Russia is far more dire than the Kremlin admits. Now, she has been harassed by the force structures and threatened with fines.

            While not one of these lines of defense, there is another aspect of the fight against the pandemic in Russia that is of concern, especially in areas outside of Moscow and far from media attention: where stay at home orders have been issued, the siloviki are using them as another means to extract money from the population by demanding bribes for those who violate the rule.