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Coronavirus pandemic

Tenth Russian II-76 with anti-coronavirus assistance departs for Serbia — ministry

Three other Il-76 planes have also departed from the Chkalovsky aerodrome for Serbia earlier on Saturday

© Russian Defense Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. The tenth Il-76 of the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces with military specialists and medical equipment on board has departed for Serbia from the Chkalovsky aerodrome, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters on Saturday.

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"The tenth Il-76 plane of the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces' military-transport aviation has departed from the Chkalovsky aerodrome (Moscow region) to the Republic of Serbia to provide assistance in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus," the ministry said.

Three other Il-76 planes have also departed from the Chkalovsky aerodrome for Serbia earlier on Saturday. Russian Il-76 planes will land at the Batajnica aerodrome in 20 km to the north-west of Serbian capital Belgrade.

Russia started to deliver aid to Serbia from April 3 on the instruction from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic held telephone talks with President Putin on April 2. The Kremlin press office reported after the talks that Russia would provide humanitarian assistance to Serbia and send doctors and disinfection specialists to the Balkan country.

In all, it is planned to send 11 planes that will deliver 87 military medics (eight nursing teams), virologists of the radiation, chemical and biological defense troops, special medical equipment, protective gear, and 16 units of military hardware.

As of 3:00pm local time (4:00pm Moscow time) on April 3, the number of coronavirus cases in Serbia grew to 1,476 while the virus death toll climbed to 39 people.

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