Russian military sends 24 troops, equipment to Bosnia and Herzegovina to help fight coronavirus

Russia will send 24 military personnel and equipment to Bosnia and Herzegovina to help fight the coronavirus, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.

Three flights will deliver the aid on Thursday, the ministry said. The first plane has already landed at Banja Luka International Airport. It was welcomed by the Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik, President of the Republika Srpska Zeljka Cvijanovic, Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic, and Russian ambassador in Bosnia and Herzegovina Pyotr Ivantsov.

The request for aid came from Republika Srpska, one of the political entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the military said. There are 816 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 35 deaths, according to the WHO.

Earlier this month, Russia sent 11 flights to Serbia to deliver medical equipment and deployed 87 military doctors and virologists to the country. In Serbia, the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus infection is 2,666, with 65 fatalities, the WHO said. Russia had previously provided assistance to Italy.