Russia secretly opens hospitals for SVOshniks - not enough beds for everyone

Russian military medicine is facing a shortage of beds for wounded soldiers arriving from the war against Ukraine. Servicemen are being placed and treated in regular civilian hospitals, where closed wards are designated for them. Staff sign non-disclosure agreements, and medical records use numbers instead of full names. According to estimates, military medical facilities have at least 58,300 beds, but this is insufficient.

The Russian military medical system, according to reports from medical professionals, is facing an acute shortage of beds for wounded soldiers arriving from the war against Ukraine. As a result, servicemen are being placed and treated in regular civilian hospitals. Individual wards are being put on a closed regime, and medical staff are required not to disclose patient information. In some hospitals, entire wards or separate blocks are allocated for them, access is restricted, and medical records use only a special number instead of the patient's full name. Medical workers from St. Petersburg, the Yaroslavl region, and Siberia told journalists about the existence of such closed wards. As early as the end of May 2023, Russian authorities announced plans to transfer about 5,000 beds in 27 civilian hospitals located in 11 regions of the country to the Ministry of Defense. According to the publication "Vot Tak," two closed wards for war participants have been operating in a hospital in the Yaroslavl region since 2024, accommodating up to 70 patients at a time. According to estimates by "Vot Tak," Russian military medical facilities may currently have at least 58,300 beds, but according to medical data, this is insufficient to cover the existing need. According to CSIS calculations, total losses of the Russian army during the full-scale war by June of this year amounted to 1.4 million people, with at least 450,000 killed.