Russia endocrinology centre says 6.1 million adults registered with diabetes
In short
RBC reported that the press service of the National Medical Research Centre for Endocrinology said more than 6.1 million adults in Russia are registered with diabetes. Earlier the same day, TASS quoted the chief freelance endocrinologist for Crimea's health ministry, Repinskaya, as saying the number of diabetes patients is twice the official statistics and that diabetes has taken on the scale of a non-infectious epidemic. RIA Novosti reported in the morning that a figure for Russians with diabetes had been named, without giving one in its feed summary.
Why it matters
The reports put figures for registered diabetes patients in Russia into the public domain, with a national endocrinology centre giving a count of adults on the register and a regional specialist saying the real number is higher. Because the available material is limited to headlines and short summaries, and the two figures are not reconciled in the documents, no conclusions about screening, funding or treatment policy can be drawn from them.
Key facts
- RBC reported that the press service of the National Medical Research Centre for Endocrinology said more than 6.1 million adults in Russia are registered with diabetes. [ 3 ]
- TASS quoted Repinskaya, described as chief freelance endocrinologist of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Crimea, as saying the number of diabetes patients is twice the official statistics. [ 2 ]
- Repinskaya said diabetes has taken on the scale of a non-infectious epidemic. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti reported that the number of Russians with diabetes had been named, but its feed summary gives no figure. [ 1 ]
- The three reports were published by Russian outlets on 6 October 2026. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the “twice the official statistics” comparison matches the registered-patient figure reported by RBC. The comparison comes from a single regional specialist, and the 6.1 million figure covers adults on the register; the documents do not reconcile the two.
- The number of Russians with diabetes that RIA Novosti reported was named. The headline states a figure was given, but the available feed summary contains no number.
- How many people in Russia have diabetes in total, including those not registered. The only number in the documents is the count of registered adults; no total or estimate is given.
- The press service of the National Medical Research Centre for Endocrinology told RBC that more than 6.1 million adults in Russia are registered with diabetes. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RIA Novosti published a report stating that the number of Russians with diabetes had been named. [ 1 ]
- TASS published Repinskaya's statement that diabetes patient numbers are twice the official statistics and that diabetes has become a non-infectious epidemic. [ 2 ]
- RBC reported that the National Medical Research Centre for Endocrinology's press service said more than 6.1 million adults in Russia are registered with diabetes. [ 3 ]