Is The Coronavirus Pandemic Impacting The Russian Military

Russia commemorates the Soviet victory over the Nazis each year on May 9 with a massive military display. Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency

Jörgen Elfving, Eurasia Daily Monitor/Jamestown: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Russian Armed Forces

Russia has been invaded once again. But this time, the intruder is the novel coronavirus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has already resulted in the deaths of 361 Russians, as of April 19 (StopKoronavirus.rf, April 19). As in past invasions, the country’s Armed Forces are playing an important role in combatting the outbreak. The military has already taken a number of measures to cope with the crisis (see EDM, April 15) and plans to support civilian society if the need arises. “All the capabilities” of the Russian military “can and should be used” for this purpose, Russian President Vladimir Putin told government ministers on April 13 (Kremlin.ru, April 13). Indeed, streets in select Russian towns are already being disinfected by troops, and medical personnel from the Armed Forces are working in hospitals in the Moscow area (Function.mil.ru, April 19; Izvestia, April 17).

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WNU Editor: I think the Russian military is experiencing the same thing that everyday Russians are experiencing now. A pandemic that has closed down the country, and infecting thousands everyday .... Russia’s coronavirus cases surpass 80,000 (TASS). More here .... Russia Sees Record One-Day Rise in Coronavirus Cases, Bringing Total to Over 80k (Moscow Times).

Update: The Latest: Russian military reported nearly 900 virus cases (AP).