Advisory: Our team cannot independently verify SOTA’s claims, we are simply reporting what their news agency is saying. We have contacted the Russian Embassy regarding this report and are awaiting a response. This post will be updated when we receive a response. 

A Russian media outlet is reporting that Moscow’s health department has ordered hospitals in the city to begin equipping bomb shelters with relevant medical supplies and items needed to create operating rooms.

In a post to their telegram account, Russian media outlet SOTA said that the Moscow Health Department issued an order to local hospitals in the region that requires them to begin moving necessary medical items into bomb shelters.

In SOTA’s report, the news organization references one instance at hospital No. 52, where hospital staff reportedly began moving equipment into the bomb shelter at the hospital (located in the basement).

From SOTA’s Telegram account

Moscow’s hospital no 52

SOTA also claims that the Moscow Department of Education is following the Department of Health’s lead and has instructed their institutions to begin equipping bomb shelters.

From SOTA’s Telegram account

More about SOTA:
SOTA news is considered to be one of the few independent media outlets still reporting from inside Russia. Their founder, Aleksei Obukhov, says the company employs 40 full-time journalists. In an interview with the committee to protect journalists on October 22, Obukhov was asked what he’s done to protect his journalists. He replied, “At present, we have moved the editorial staff abroad — some of our colleagues cannot return due to threats of criminal prosecution. A large part of the staff remains in Russia, working in various regions. To protect correspondents in Russia, we pay for the services of an in-house lawyer. In addition, sometimes publicity and a formal media license helps [protect correspondents from arbitrary prosecution].”

Our team cannot independently verify SOTA’s claims.