The Kremlin on Thursday praised Moscow's authorities after the city reported its lowest daily increase in coronavirus infections since April 23, but some critics raised questions over some of Russia's reported data.
Authorities reported 8,371 new infections on Thursday, pushing the nationwide tally to 379,051, the world's third highest after the United States and Brazil. The death toll rose to 4,142 after 174 people died overnight.
The focus of the outbreak has been shifting to Russia's provinces from Moscow. The capital has been the worst-hit city so far but the number of new cases there fell to 2,054 on Thursday from a peak of 6,703 on May 7.