MOSCOW, March 3 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian Defense Ministry official said on Tuesday that the armored vehicles pledged to the Palestinian government will be assigned from the ministry's reserves.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on Monday that Moscow would soon give 50 armored vehicles to the Palestinian Authority.

"All of these 50 armored vehicles will be taken from the Defense Ministry's available resources - that is to say, from depots where mothballed vehicles are stored," the source said.

The source said on-board weapons would be detached from the vehicles prior to delivery.

Russia offered armored vehicles to the Palestinian Authority back in 2005 to help the authorities maintain order. Fearing the vehicles could fall into the hands of Hamas, which Tel Aviv considers a terrorist organization, Israel first opposed the idea but subsequently agreed to weapons-free supplies.