Russia has sent the second group of service personnel from Russia's aviation group to Chad as part of a UN operation in the region, an Air Force spokesman said.
Russia's contribution to the UN mission in Central African Republic and Chad totals 118 peacekeepers and four Mi-8MT helicopters. The first part of the group departed from the Chkalovsky airfield near Moscow on Monday.
"The second part of the group left for Chad from the Migalovo airfield near Tver at 23:00 [8:00 p.m. GMT] on Thursday as part of a regular rotation. An Il-76 military transport plane will deliver 40 servicemen and about 50 metric tons of cargo to the deployment site of the Russian air group," Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik said.
The new group of Russian peacekeepers will spend eight months in Chad. Their tasks include transport of UN cargo and personnel, evacuations, search and rescue missions, and observation flights.
The UN Security Council has repeatedly voiced its concerns over the activity of armed groups in Chad and the Central African Republic, as well as in the neighboring Sudanese region of Darfur.
The Council approved on 25 September, 2007 the establishment in Chad and the Central African Republic "of a multidimensional presence intended to help create the security conditions conducive to a voluntary, secure and sustainable return of refugees and displaced persons".
Russian peacekeepers have been serving in Chad since November 2008.
MOSCOW, March 5 (RIA Novosti)
