Russia Delivers Humanitarian Support To Chad

RIA Novosti reported a Russian Air Force spokesman on Monday 8 December that an An-124 Condor aeroplane has delivered four helicopters together with personnel to the struggling country of Chad.  The detachment is to take part in an EU-led mission to support UN peacekeeping efforts in the country,

RIA Novosti version of An-124 Condor?

Interestingly, the accompanying photo was of a Volga-Dnepr An124-100 Ruslan commercial airplane.  So it's a little difficult to know if it's simply a matter of RIA Novosti using a stock photo or of the Russian military treating the commercial airplane as their own.

The deployment follows an agreement between Russia and the EU signed on November 5 on the deployment of a 200-strong peacekeeping contingent with four Mi-8MT helicopters in the Central African region for up to a year.

"The An-124 plane delivered four Mi-8MT helicopters and over 30 personnel including helicopter crews and technicians, who will soon begin assembling the aircraft," Col. Vladimir Drik said.

The An-124 made a non-stop, eight-hour, flight from a military airfield in central Russia to Ndjamena, capital of Chad, carrying the helicopters and a total of over 40 tons of cargo.  If the airplane were indeed a military An-124 Condor then it would have been one of only 2 or 3 that are believed to be operational and a rare excursion outside Russia.

This consignment was only part of the detachment with Russia having already delivered over 200 tons of cargo, more than 80 personnel, five vehicles, and these four Mi-8MT helicopters as part of a Russian peacekeeping contingent.

Russia already has a helicopter support group deployed in neighbouring Sudan. This unit provides transport and rescue services for UN military observers in Sudan and comprises 120 personnel and another four Mi-8 helicopters.