All CCTV cameras in Moscow are to be replaced in the next three years.
The mayor says half do not work, while the other half do not work properly.
The upgrade is well worth the billions of roubles it will cost as thousands of crimes are solved thanks to CCTV.
The need for a new surveillance system was brought to the attention of the authorities by a scandal.
A firm hired to equip Moscow with new CCTV cameras installed faulty devices. For several months, the police were fed non-real time footage. The firm’s boss was jailed for four and a half years.