Russia will send military specialists to the Republic of the Congo for the maintenance of Russian-made military hardware and equipment provided to the country earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
“These specialists will go there to help maintain military equipment provided to the Republic of the Congo earlier,” he said.
According to Peskov, it is possible to continue using many pieces of the equipment only through appropriate maintenance.
“They will be sent there to maintain that equipment,” he added.
However, Peskov did not offer any details on how many military specialists will be sent to the Congo Republic and whether they will be regular soldiers or private contractors working for the Russian government. He said they are expected to service military hardware and munitions that Russia had earlier supplied to DRC.
During the Republic of Congo’s President, Denis Sassou Nguesso visit to Moscow on Thursday, Russia and the DRC signed a contract to send Russian military specialists to the African state.
After the contract was signed, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told reporters that the contract mainly focuses on repairs and maintenance of military equipment of Soviet and Russian production, including armored vehicles, artillery pieces, rocket launchers, and helicopters. He added that negotiations on new supplies to the DRC are underway, but did not provide details.
Earlier this year, Russia donated hundreds of weapons and sent more than 200 trainers to the Central African Republic to aid in the government’s fight against militia groups after receiving an exemption from a United Nations arms embargo.
According to an earlier report by Reuters, Russian troops and contractors were on assignments in Egypt, Libya, and Sudan, but Russian officials acknowledge the Russian presence only in the case of Sudan.
