Russian media has been reporting on the spread of coronavirus in Russia and trying to give the impression that the situation is under control, when it does not appear to be so. The virus continues to spread a lot, especially in border cities with China, and is making its way throughout the nation. Since Russia has a very bad medical infrastructure (even the Minzdrav admits this), it is helping the transmission of the illness.
Do not be fooled by memes- for just as there are mosques in Japan (remember that one?), Russia has a lot of COVID-19 cases, and is not being miraculously shielded from them. In fact, if there is a source that is responsible for the ‘miraculous’ lack of case reports, it is the government, which has according to the Washingotn Times began to use Russia’s “fake news” law to censor news media outlets and bloggers who talk about the spread of COVID-19.
Interfax, another Russian news outlet, reported that Echo of Moscow had been asked by regulators to remove an interview with a political analyst who cited anonymous sources to say that more than 130,000 people across the country had contracted COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, and that around 1,600 had died.
Alexei Venediktov, the radio station’s editor in chief, said the comments made in the interview included the analyst’s opinions and that the outlet may appeal, Interfax reported.
On Govorit Magadan, an article published later Friday said the news site had been asked by regulators to remove a report about a person who died at a local hospital from COVID-19.
Russia has officially reported a total of 253 cases of COVID-19 as of Friday. Only one death from the disease, announced Thursday, has been officially reported. (source)
This is what we have been worried about. Russia is returning to Soviet-style behavior, but with more difficulty in hiding it than before.