Russia got some good PR by sending vital medical gear to the US, even as coronavirus cases at home doubled in last three days

Russian Mission to the UN

The Russian transport plane that sent medical supplies to New York.

• Russia sent some medical supplies to the US to help fight coronavirus.
• Moscow called it a "humanitarian" gesture.
• The US State Department reminded everyone it was not an act of charity - the US had bought the supplies.
• Some Russians were annoyed that the Kremlin was trying to get good PR in the US when their people are dying at home, too.
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A shipment of medical supplies from Russia to the US to help fight New York City's outbreak of COVID-19 Wednesday night was lauded by President Donald Trump as "nice" gesture.

It was good for Russia, too, because it suggested - according to media spin from Moscow - that the Great United States wasn't capable of handling its own emergencies without aid from Even Greater Russia.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly pushed out photographs of the Antonov 124 cargo plane - among the world's largest planes with a payload of 150,000 kg (330,693 lb) - delivering a batch of what it described as "humanitarian cargo."

The US State Department later corrected that information. The cargo of ventilators and personal protection equipment was actually sold to the US by the Kremlin.

Even as President Trump and the Russian MFA were congratulating one another for what was an otherwise small sale of vital equipment, a retired former commander of US Army forces in Europe said the footage released by the Russians of the Antonov's cargo bay showed it was filled with poorly secured cardboard boxes, and was probably a publicity scam because they appeared to be improperly stowed for a flight.

Retired General Ben Hodges used his Twitter account to say, "This picture is a hoax...no professional Loadmaster in the world...in any air force...would load a plane like this."

'Sorry dude, we need this for PR'

This otherwise amusing moment of PR flimflammery has a deadly serious side. Thursday saw the number of new coronavirus cases in Russia double in just three days to 3,548 with 30 deaths. Until this week the Russian government denied it had a major COVID problem, and it resisted the stringent social distancing and societal lockdowns widely implemented around the world in other developed nations.

In the last week both Moscow and St Petersburg -- both with an exploding number of cases -- finally announced draconian measures to limit the spread of the virus after weeks of denying the need to take action.

Russian doctors and cartoonists were angered that Putin was sending critically needed gear to the Americans, for a cheap PR victory, when it was sorely needed at home. One cartoon on social media depicted Russian leader Vladimir Putin taking a ventilator mask from a hospital patient while saying, "Sorry, dude, we need this for PR." (The box says "humanitarian assistance for dear Donald.")

Another Russian Twitter user said, "Well, great. We collect money all over the country to buy remedies for doctors, and our authorities sell personal protective equipment in the United States. Just some mockery."

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"Sorry, dude, we need this for PR."

(The box says "humanitarian assistance for dear Donald.") pic.twitter.com/zhGxzl80AT

- Jim Edwards (@Jim_Edwards) April 2, 2020

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