In the period from 9 to 12 May, two fires occurred in hospitals in Moscow and St. Petersburg, resulting in the death of six patients.

Presumably, the fires started due to the ignition of respiratory ventilators. The devices were produced at the Ural instrument-making plant, part of JSC “Kret” of the Rostech state Corporation. The quality and safety of ventilators in hospitals where the fire occurred is currently being checked.

At the end of March 2020, the Russian Government allocated 7.5 billion rubles for the purchase of 5.7 thousand ventilators. The sole supplier was appointed “daughter” of Rostech group of companies JSC “Kret”. In March and April 2020, Kret JSC signed contracts for the supply of Aventa-M artificial lung ventilation devices for 14.46 billion rubles.