WASHINGTON, May 19. /TASS/. The US use military planes to deliver 200 ventilators to Russia, a Pentagon source told TASS Tuesday.
"The US government is using military aircraft to transport the ventilators to the Russian people," the source said. "With extremely limited commercial flights, this was the best option available."
A senior source in the US Administration told TASS Tuesday that the 200 ventilators will be handed over to Russia free of charge. The first batch of 50 ventilators will be ready for shipment by Wednesday. According to radio Voice of America, they have been produced in California and will be used in a surgical center in Moscow. The remaining 150 will be ready for shipment shortly after that.
According to radio Voice of America, the total cost of these units, their delivery and supplies is about $4.7 million. The US covers all costs. According to Voice of America, the shipment is not a cooperation between the two Defense Ministries, which is prohibited by the US defense budget for current fiscal year (which began on October 1).
On Sunday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US authorities are happy that they can try to help Russia fight this virus. He announced that "some testing equipment and medical ventilators" were "on its way."
Earlier, the US President Donald Trump announced that the US will send ventilators to Russia, if such need arises. According to the president, he proposed it during his phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
In April, Russia handed over a batch of medical supplies as aid in coronavirus prevention. At that time, Trump called it a "very nice gesture" from Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later that Russia would use the US proposal on shipment of ventilators, should such need arise.