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Coronavirus pandemic

Three more Russian planes arrive in Italy to help fight COVID-19

The planes are the 12th, 13th and 14th aircraft sent by Russia overall

© Russian Defense Ministry/TASS

PRATICA DI MARE /Italy/, March 24. /TASS/. Three more Il-76 planes of the Russian Aerospace Forces, carrying Russian military specialists and equipment who will help to tackle the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country, landed Italy’s Pratica di Mare airbase some 30 km southwest of Rome.

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Eleventh Russian military plane carrying experts, medical equipment arrives in Italy

The planes are the 12th, 13th and 14th sent by Russia overall. The eleventh Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane arrived in Italy late on Monday.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the planes brought equipment necessary for diagnostics and disinfection.

The ministry will continue taking its personnel and equipment to Italy to help the country cope with the deadly disease.

In a telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia's readiness to offer urgent assistance to Italy to help it cope with the novel coronavirus infection. On the same day, the Russian defense ministry said it would set up an air taskforce of nine Il-76 planes.

Earlier on Monday, the ministry reported that eight mobile brigades of medics and about 100 military virologists and epidemiologists, equipment for disinfecting transport vehicles and territories, as well as medical equipment had been delivered to Italy.

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