MOSCOW, October 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is sending eight monitors to the November 4 presidential elections in the United States, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

"In line with the U.S. invitation forwarded by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Russia is sending eight long-term observers to monitor the U.S. presidential elections and elections to Congress," Andrei Nesterenko said.

The group is due to arrive on Wednesday and remain in the country until November 10. Nesterenko also said the group would total 48 people, as opposed to the previously announced 100.

The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights said in a news release on October 10 that its monitoring mission includes a core team of 13 international experts, with its head office in Washington, D.C. Another 48 observers will be deployed in teams of two around the country. The observers are chosen from 20 OSCE participating states.