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Russia cancels drills near other countries’ borders over coronavirus

This is linked to preventive measures, the Kremlin spokesman said

© Nozim Kalandarov/TASS

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Russia has halted military drills near other countries’ borders as a preventive measure amid the coronavirus, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

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Coronavirus cases in Russia rise to 438 over past day

Peskov commented on a statement by Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, who said in his interview with Izvestia newspaper that the Armed Forces had stopped military drills "in direct proximity with Russia’s borders with Western states."

"Obviously, this is linked to preventive measures and this decision is preventive amid the situation with the overall fight against the coronavirus," the Kremlin spokesman said.

The coronavirus outbreak was recorded in central China in late December 2019. More than 160 countries have been hit by this infection, which was labeled as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. According to the latest data, more than 320,000 people have contracted the virus and over 14,000 have died. A total of 438 coronavirus cases have been registered in Russia and 17 patients have recovered. The government has launched a special website to inform the public about the coronavirus situation in Russia.

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