MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. The Moscow anti-coronavirus crisis center has confirmed the leak of personal data belonging to Moscow COVID-19 patients due to human error.

"On the outcomes of an inquiry into the reports of personal data leaks among Moscow residents who recovered from COVID-19, it was documented that there were no hacks or any unsanctioned interference in the work of information systems of the Moscow government. The leak happened due to human error: employees involved in processing internal documents allowed the files to be handed over to third persons. The inquiry is still being held, measures will be taken on its outcomes," head of the Moscow Informational Technologies Department Eduard Lysenko said in a statement published by the crisis center on Telegram.

Earlier, several media outlets reported that files with personal data of Moscow residents who were diagnosed with COVID-19 had been uploaded online. Reportedly, 362 files totaling 940 megabytes have been made public. The files contain full names of patients, their dates of birth, places of residence, phone numbers, passport numbers and so on.

Moscow ranks first in Russia by the number of COVID-19 cases. The city has documented 660,073 cases of the infection, while 507,149 patients have recovered.