INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
the RBC news website reported Thursday.Potassium iodide sales in Russian pharmacies have risen by 150% since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb
million rubles ($1.88 million) were sold in Russia between January and October.The chemical compound is used in the event of exposure to
radiation and works by blocking the thyroid gland from absorbing the radioactive iodine typically released in a nuclear emergency.Yandex
recorded a sevenfold increase in inquiries for potassium iodide in September
Other drugs that mitigate the effects of radiation saw similar growth compared with September 2021.Sales of painkillers and first aid
supplies including blood clotting sponges and tourniquets have also surged by as much as 1,200% since late February, according to the
Russian pharmacy aggregator Megapteka.In a separate report on Friday, the state-run TASS news agency reported a huge increase in the sale of
antidepressant medications in Russia, with 8.4 million packs being sold between January-October, a jump of 70%.The surge in demand for
he personally oversaw annual nuclear deterrence drills earlier this week, though the United States stressed they were a routine exercise and
played down their significance.On Thursday, Putin appeared to walk back his nuclear rhetoric, saying that Russia deploying nuclear weapons
