MOSCOW, February 20 (RIA Novosti) - An operation to fly Russian peacekeepers into Sudan to join a UN mission will begin on April 15-18, a senior military official said Monday.
"A total of 200 troops, four fully equipped Mi-8 (Havoc) military transport helicopters and over 100 metric tons of cargoes will be airlifted to Sudan," said General Sergei Shevchenko, the deputy commander of the Russian air force. He added that An-124 Ruslan (Condor), An-22 Antei (Cock), and Il-76 (Candid) transport aircraft would be engaged in the operation and would have to make 40 flights.
Shevchenko said Major General Viktor Ivanov, in command of army aviation, was expected to visit the UN headquarters in New York to discuss payment terms and issues related to the Russian troops' stationing in Sudan, their interaction with the UN mission, and transport aircraft flights.
Shevchenko said the Russian peacekeepers would be independent from other contingents in the African state in terms of equipment.
"They will bring the necessary airfield equipment, munitions, and communications equipment, including radio beacons and two-way radio stations, with them," he said.
The personnel are currently preparing for the upcoming mission near Moscow.
On February 7, President Vladimir Putin issued a decree to send Russian troops to Sudan, where a 21-year, bloody civil war ended when the Muslim-dominated north and Christians and animists in the south reached a peace deal in 2005.
Putin tasked the peacekeepers with providing helicopter support for rapid deployment forces, airlifting troops, evacuating the wounded, conducting aerial surveys and search operations, and delivering UN personnel and equipment to locations across Sudan.
The Russian personnel will be rotated at least twice a year, whereas the aircraft will be replaced when necessary.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Russian troops are participating in UN peace missions in Kosovo, Haiti, Liberia, Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, the Middle East, and Georgia.
