BERGAMO /Italy/, April 16. /TASS/. Russian military medics have started treating patients with mild and moderate symptoms of COVID-19 at a recently opened therapeutic unit at a field hospital in Bergamo, the Russian Defense Ministry informed on Thursday.

"I must say that you have high-class specialists. Several days ago, general practitioners began their work, and we hope that they will be able to help patients with less severe symptoms of the disease than those held in intensive care units under observation of your specialists," head of the field hospital in Bergamo Oliviero Valoti said, quoted by the Russian Defense Ministry.

The ministry explained that the therapeutic unit is open for patients with mild and moderate symptoms of the disease, as well as those who are recovering and no longer need intensive care. This allows to free hospital beds in intensive care units for patients with more severe symptoms.

"Currently, there are 12 patients in the unit under the care of Russian doctors. In total, 35 COVID-19 patients are receiving treatment at the hospital. Twelve patients who were treated by Russian and Italian specialists have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital," the ministry noted.

International teams at the hospital consist of anaesthesiologists, general practitioners, epidemiologists and nurses. Russian military translators are also working on the site, establishing communication between Russian and Italian medics.

Under the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on March 22-25, the Russian Defense Ministry sent 15 military jets to Italy that transported virologists, epidemiologists and the necessary equipment to the country. According to the ministry, the group includes specialists who directly took part in fighting outbreaks of African swine fever, as well as developing vaccines against Ebola and the plague. The planes also delivered mobile stations for aerosol disinfection of transport and territories and medical equipment.

Russian military experts have been stationed in the town of Bergamo (Lombardy), one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy with a record number of infections and deaths in the country.