11:35, 26 February 2026

Russia Registers First Domestically Developed Surgical Robot

The system is now cleared for delivery to federal and regional medical centers.

A Russian-built analogue of the Da Vinci surgical robot has been officially registered in the country and is fully ready for clinical deployment, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told TASS.

A New Format for Surgical Care

“This is a new format of surgical care,” Murashko said, adding that the robot will first be supplied to medical institutions focused on expanding high-tech treatment capabilities. The domestically developed surgical robot is expected to shorten both treatment time and patient recovery.

Russian researchers began developing the system for abdominal surgery – operations involving organs in the abdominal cavity – several years ago, and it has recently completed the registration process. The robot is entirely a Russian development. The project began as a digital platform, but after analyzing market priorities, the team refined the concept and focused specifically on abdominal surgery.

The Russian analogue of the Da Vinci robot is significantly less expensive than its American counterpart. It was developed at the Institute of Design and Technological Informatics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. According to director Sergei Sheptunov, two industrial partners helped launch production without major capital expenditures. The robot’s design is relatively simple and does not require unique manufacturing equipment.

A Robot That Won’t Sit Idle

“Da Vinci robots worldwide perform only one operation per day. They often remain idle because each procedure is extremely expensive. Our primary goal was to design a system that would reduce surgical costs severalfold. We achieved this through design features, new instruments, and materials. Most importantly, the cost of a procedure will be comparable to reimbursements under the national health insurance system, meaning that virtually any patient in Russia will be able to undergo robotic surgery at little to no personal expense,” the scientist said.

Another advantage is the use of a laser system, which developers say delivers precision up to 20 times greater than that of the Da Vinci robot. Around 15 million surgeries are performed annually in Russia, and about 3.5 million of them could potentially be carried out using this robotic platform.

Earlier, we reported that Russian scientists developed an AI module for planning lung surgeries.

Medicine and healthcare