Moscow to spend 23 billion rubles — or $377 million — on video surveillance

Source: Meduza

Moscow municipal government plans to spend 23.3 billion rubles ($377.2 million) on video surveillance contracts.

According to Kommersant, the publication that reported this, on October 19–20, the Moscow Department of Competitive Policy placed six tenders for video surveillance services with the unified data storage and processing center.

Moscow’s Department of Information Technology explained that new purchasing is connected to the expiration of the previous five-year contracts, made four years ago. The new contracts, too, will have a five-year term.

A year ago, Moscow spent around 10 billion rubles on video surveillance in the city.

According to the Moscow Mayor’s Office, 213,000 surveillance cameras are currently operating around Moscow. In 2021, Moscow joined the top 30 world cities in the number of surveillance cameras per square meter.

Among other things, Moscow uses video cameras to assist in the delivery of draft notices, and to suppress opposition and anti-war activists.

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