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Russian military experts set for humanitarian demining mission in Laos

Major General Andrey Kruglov noted that specialists from the center had swept almost 470 acres of land over their first six missions, uncovering and disposing of more than 3,500 explosive hazards

NAKHABINO /Moscow Region/, October 15. /TASS/. A Russian International Mine Action Center unit will go to the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LDPR) to conduct a humanitarian demining mission on the country’s territory in November, head of the Karbyshev Military Engineering Academy Major General Andrey Kruglov reported.

"In accordance with the decision of Russian President [Vladimir Putin], a unit of the International Mine Action Center will go to Laos in November of this year to carry out the seventh humanitarian operation to demine the territory of the country and train Lao specialists," he said at a briefing of the Russian Defense Ministry for military attaches of foreign countries, dedicated to improving military education and training of foreign servicemen in Russia.

Kruglov noted that specialists from the center had swept almost 470 acres of land over their first six missions, uncovering and disposing of more than 3,500 explosive hazards which remained from the Vietnam War (1964-1973).

Furthermore, 136 deminers have been trained in Laos over the past six years as part of the International Mine Action Center branch’s program. They now successfully conduct tasks on mine clearance of their national territory.

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