Crime is down, but 'every step can be tracked': Moscow's 300,000 cameras

Moscow has seen improvements in public safety thanks to the introduction of advanced technology, including closed-circuit television cameras linked to biometric systems, but the gains have come at a cost to civil liberties and human rights, The New York Times reported.

About 300,000 CCTV cameras are now installed across the Russian capital, according to The New York Times.

The digital surveillance infrastructure — cameras and related systems — is credited with transforming Moscow from a city plagued by violent crime, including robbery and murder, 25 years ago into a comparatively safe one. The technology has also added convenience to daily life: facial recognition can now handle everything from subway fare payments to apartment purchase contracts.

However, The New York Times said the comfort and security come at the price of an expanding surveillance state.

While other major European cities also operate large CCTV networks, Moscow's system is far more centralized, the paper said.

The dense camera network, linked to a biometric database, has made Moscow one of the most closely monitored cities in the world.

Authorities use the biometric database not only to crack down on crime but also to track anti-government activists who participate in protests.

Last April, a Russian rock musician was arrested at a railway station in St. Petersburg after police said he resembled a wanted Ukrainian figure. Officers pulled his hair to check whether he was wearing a wig before releasing him.

As the war in Ukraine drags on, Russia's technology-based surveillance network has grown even more extensive, The New York Times reported.

After thousands of Russians fled the country in 2022 to avoid military conscription, authorities introduced AI-based electronic draft notices that carry the same legal force as traditional paper documents.

In March, a 28-year-old photographer named Vlat received a notice through a government portal app ordering him to appear for a mandatory medical examination, and discovered he was barred from leaving the country until he complied. He refused to appear and said he no longer takes the subway out of fear of CCTV cameras. "All data is handed over, so perfect control is exercised and every step can be tracked," he told The New York Times.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued launching drone strikes targeting Moscow amid its ongoing war with Russia.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a statement that 548 drones flew toward the Moscow region over a 28-hour period from 8 a.m. Monday to noon that day (local time), Yonhap reported at the time.

Most of the drones were shot down on the outskirts, but 143 were intercepted as they approached Moscow, according to the statement.

Separately, foreign media including AFP reported that attacks by both sides beginning Monday night left more than 12 people dead in Russia and Ukraine, Yonhap reported at the time. The AFP report was dated Aug. 16 (local time).

Moscow regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov said on Telegram that Ukraine had carried out its largest-ever attack on the Moscow region on Monday, killing at least one person.

Russia's Ministry of National Defense said it intercepted and downed 822 Ukrainian drones across the country that day. Of those, about 600 had been aimed at Moscow, Mayor Sobyanin said.