Russia has had a very low number of COVID-19 deaths, but many of its officials have been infected with the novel coronavirus. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 back in April, as well as Sergey Kirienko, the Deputy Head of Vladimir Putin’s Presidential Administration. Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, Construction Minister Vladimir Yakushev and Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov were also infected with COVID-19.
Last week, Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s leader and a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has reportedly been brought to Moscow with suspected coronavirus infection. It is worth remembering that he recently said that Chechens who break quarantine, do not self-isolate and infect others should be killed. Kadyrov has allegedly been diagnosed with lung damage and a suspected COVID-19 infection.
“Even if I got sick, there are millions infected with the coronavirus in the world, tens of thousands have died… am I not human, I have no right to get sick?” he said in an Instagram interview yesterday.
It is also worth noting that Chechnya’s strong man has berated local doctors for complaining about shortages of equipment and protective gear. According to official reports, Chechnya has stood out in the North Caucasus during the coronavirus epidemic for its low reported number of deaths.
Kadyrov rose to power in the wake of the murder of his father – regional leader Akhmat Kadyrov – in 2004. They both fought against the Russian police and army during the First Chechen War, from 1994-1996. However, in 1999 the then-Russian Prime Minster Vladimir Putin launched the Second war, and the Kadyrovs switched sides to support Moscow. Ramzan Kdyrov has been in power since 2007 and he is seen as Putin’s loyal ally. Many pro-Kremlin propagandists tend to portray reestablishing control over energy-rich Chechnya in 2000 as another of Putin’s great achievements. However, before the conflict erupted, ethnic Russians comprised approximately 20 percent of Chechnya’s population. After Putin’s “victory” in 2000, the number of Russians in the Chechen Republic fell to less than two percent. Chechnya remains heavily subsidized by Moscow, with no hope of becoming economically self-sufficient in the current political climate. However, it is the Kremlin, rather than Kadyrov and local elites, that still controls the extraction, processing and transport of oil.
Chechnya, as well as the North Caucasus in general, is primarily an Islamic region in the Russian Federation. When it comes to coronavirus, neighboring Dagestan was the first Caucasus republic to become problematic. Between 40 to 50 health workers have died in Dagestan since the beginning of the pandemic, according to estimates from the republic’s Health Minister Dzmaludin Gadzhiibragimov and the region’s chief mufti Ahmad Abdulaev. The lack of coronavirus testing and frequent opposition from family members to autopsies has meant the official death toll from COVID-19 in Dagestan is far lower than the toll of deaths attributed to other diseases such as pneumonia. Many novel coronavirus deaths are not recorded as people die in their homes without ever making it to a hospital and get buried according to local traditions. The Kremlin has promised to help Dagestan with additional resources to fight the pandemic, including more test kits. According to federal healthcare and well-being agency Rospotrebnadzor, the daily testing rate in the North Caucasus republic is still two times lower than recommended.
Although Russian officials claim the epidemic in the geographically largest country in the world is under control, in reality many regions are facing numerous problems. For instance, ambulance crews in Crimea’s capital Simferopol made a video saying they are risking their lives for very low salaries, and complain that they have not received the bonuses promised by President Putin. Instead, they have reportedly been threatened with prosecution for extremism by local authorities.
While the daily number of new coronavirus cases in Moscow has dropped from a peak of about 6,700 to under 3,000 now, other hot spots have emerged across Russia. In spite of that, last week an anti-coronavirus lockdown party was held in Novosibirsk, some 3,350 kilometers from the Russian capital. The city is Russia’s third largest and local media reports that between 200-300 people took part in an unusual protest. None wore marks and social distancing rules were completely ignored. Also, Russia plans to hold its postponed Victory Day military parade on 24 June, and President Putin hopes to host many world leaders, although it is unlikely that the US President Donald Trump will appear in Moscow.
For the time being, Vladimir Putin remains safe and well isolated. He acts as a crisis manager who promises to help Russian federal districts that cannot deal effectively with the epidemic. His approval ratings, however, decline, as many Russians are not satisfied with the way their country is fighting against “the invisible enemy”. Although Putin’s allies will most likely survive the COVID-19, Russian leader and his team will face series of problems in the post-lockdown period.
Image credit: fernando zhiminaicela