Moscow [Russia], December 11 (ANI/Sputnik): Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin pledged on Friday that the country would start COVID-19 vaccination at the end of the week and authorities would not miss the deadline. "I can say today that we meet the deadline. The first batches of the vaccine have already been sent to regions, we are gradually nearing the output targets," Mishustin told coronavirus vaccine producers. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered that mass vaccination be launched this week. On Thursday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that over 6,000 residents of the Russian capital had already been vaccinated. Doctors, teachers and social services staffers are the first in line to receive the vaccine.