‘A tragedy for the state’

Nine newborns died at a Siberian maternity ward this month, triggering a criminal investigation and renewed scrutiny of conditions

Nine newborns have died in recent weeks at a maternity ward in the Siberian city of Novokuznetsk. In response to the deaths, the Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation, and the hospital has temporarily stopped admissions. The incidents have also drawn attention to long-standing complaints about conditions at the facility. Here’s what we know so far.

Nine newborns have died this January at a maternity ward in Siberia, according to Russian state media, as well as Telegram channels close to law enforcement agencies. The reports have been confirmed by the Kemerovo Regional Health Ministry.

According to the ministry, a hospital in the city of Novokuznetsk recorded 234 births between December 1, 2025, and January 11, 2026. Thirty-two of these newborns required treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit, 17 of them in critical condition. Most of those critically ill infants were born prematurely, and all were diagnosed with severe intrauterine infections. The ministry says all newborns received care in line with approved clinical guidelines.

“Regrettably, nine infants did not survive,” the ministry said. “Four children remain under observation in intensive care, and another four have been transferred for treatment.”

On Monday, a source told NGS42 that the maternity ward had stopped admitting patients several days prior. According to the source, the closure may have been linked either to the infant deaths or to staffing shortages.

Follow Meduza on Google News to stay up to date — just go to this link and click “Follow” (or tap the star on mobile).

Medical workers, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the outlet that the ward was short on personnel and that orderlies were allegedly being asked to work as nurses. The hospital’s website, however, says admissions were suspended after respiratory infection rates exceeded a set threshold and that the maternity unit was temporarily closed for quarantine measures. The statement emphasizes that there is no staffing shortage.

The regional branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case over negligence and causing death by negligence. The hospital’s chief physician, Vitaly Kheraskov, has been suspended from his post. The regional prosecutor’s office and two federal agencies are also inspecting the hospital.

The father of one of the deceased infants told the outlet Baza that hospital staff withheld information from parents about their children’s condition. According to him, medical workers contacted him the morning after the birth to say that both his wife and child were doing well and that the delivery had gone smoothly. That same evening, he learned that the baby had died. He says hospital staff refused to answer his questions about the cause of death.

A 26-year-old woman identified as Arina B., whose premature child also died, said all staff members appeared to be ill, coughing and sneezing while moving around the ward without masks or gloves. She said her baby experienced dangerous swings in blood pressure and was transferred to intensive care, where the infant later died. A doctor told her the cause was cardiac arrest, but, she says, an autopsy later revealed an infection.

Kheraskov said that no viral infection capable of causing the newborns’ deaths was detected at the hospital and that each case is being reviewed individually. “These were all very complex cases involving prematurity, each with its own medical conditions,” he said. “The most important thing is that there is no danger right now — neither for pregnant women nor for the city as a whole.” In comments to the outlet Mash, Kheraskov said he “categorically denies” any fault on the part of doctors.

The incident has drawn national attention. Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko called the deaths not only an irreparable loss and profound pain for the families involved, but also a “tragedy” for the state, which she said is making every possible effort to support birth rates. Russia’s health minister, Mikhail Murashko, has dispatched a team of specialists to Novokuznetsk to review the maternity ward’s operations.

Complaints about the Novokuznetsk maternity ward had been widespread even before the deaths, said Yelena Perminova, head of the Federation Council’s committee on social policy, speaking to RBC. She said she was shocked by what she saw after reviewing social media posts and messages about the hospital. “There were a great many complaints from women who gave birth there — about the staff and about the overall condition of the maternity ward,” she said.

The outlet Mash reported that patients had complained of unsanitary conditions at the hospital, including cockroaches and rats on the premises. According to patients, they were served spoiled porridge on dirty dishes and tea with flies in it, and mold was visible on the walls.