Russia on Monday said that nearly 26,000 people had died from coronavirus in November and more than 186,000 since the start of the year, a much heavier toll than has been reported.

A man wearing a protective facemask walks in the All-Russia Exhibition Centre (VDNKh), in Moscow, on December 27, 2020. (Photo: AFP)

The Rosstat statistics agency said that the number of deaths from all causes recorded between January and November had risen by 229,700 on the previous year, with 81 percent attributable to the virus, according to an official.