Coronavirus: the Russian army sends a hundred virologists to Italy

Russian military specialists in epidemics are preparing to embark for Rome, March 22, 2020. ALEXEY ERESHKO / RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

Russia announced this Sunday, March 22, the dispatch of a hundred "experienced" military virologists to Italy. A first plane of the Russian army is currently en route for Rome. These epidemic specialists and nurses come from three Russian military bases.

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With our correspondent in Moscow, Paul Gogo

Press releases from the Russian Defense Ministry keep falling into the mailboxes of correspondents in Moscow. Russia is providing military aid to Italy to fight the coronavirus and the Kremlin wants to make it known.

The aid was accepted late in the evening of this Saturday by Italy, during a telephone discussion between the defense ministers of the two countries. Russia will send nine planes and 100 soldiers and specialists to Italian soil. The first plane is expected in the afternoon at the Pratica de Mare military base south of Rome.

The diplomatic card of the Kremlin

The Ministry of Defense has communicated on the impressive CVs of specialists sent to the peninsula. They participated in the elimination of swine fever in Africa . They also worked on developing vaccines against Ebola and the plague. In addition to the brains, there is medical equipment, including equipment for disinfecting vehicles.

Russian and Chinese aid to Italy are not trivial. In Russia, authorities consider the crisis to be under control , while official figures are questioned by many doctors. But faced with a Europe in a state of emergency and a Donald Trump struggling to manage the situation, the Kremlin is playing a card that is as diplomatic as it is humanitarian.

► Read also: Coronavirus: Italy extends its containment measures "beyond April 3"

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  • Coronavirus
  • Russia
  • Italy