Sanctions have disrupted the supply of cadavers used for medical manipulation and practical training. Reports circulating on Telegram describe how researchers and clinicians now face significant constraints as the availability of donated bodies shrinks. This scarcity affects the way practitioners build hands-on proficiency, especially in fields that rely on real tissue to refine techniques and validate new approaches.
Traditionally, training crews supplemented practice on dummies with real cadavers, often sourced from international donors. In Russia, where lines of descent for body donations are culturally and legally complex, many programs turned to cadaveric material purchased abroad to sustain education. With the imposition of sanctions and restrictions that followed the political shifts, access to cadaveric material became markedly harder, forcing institutions to rethink their teaching methods and equipment inventories.
Industry observers note that the search for new suppliers stalled over the course of a year due to regulatory barriers and a broad prohibition on manipulations with deceased individuals in several Muslim-majority countries and in India. As a result, cadaver pools used by teachers in continuing education programs have depleted. Russian medical teams increasingly look to neighboring regions such as Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan to fulfill training needs, adapting to the changing landscape while maintaining the integrity of medical education.
In response, RNIMU Pirogov and other institutions highlighted the potential of virtual reality (VR) simulators and digital anatomy platforms as a means to preserve instructional quality. By integrating VR scenarios, haptic feedback, and high-fidelity simulations, educators aim to replicate critical steps, improve spatial understanding, and reduce dependency on real specimens without compromising patient safety or educational outcomes.