Russian Mi-8AMTSh

On Friday, the heavy-lift An-124 Ruslan (Condor) cargo plane delivered two Russian Mi-8AMTSh Hipp multipurpose helicopters to the Bangui M’poko International Airport in the Central African Republic.

According to Radio Liberty, Russia has already deployed hundreds of troops in the deeply unstable country amid an alleged coup bid ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections.

Russia has also sent an additional 300 military instructors to the Central African Republic (CAR) to deal with what its foreign ministry calls a “sharp degradation of security”, multiple news outlets reported.

Furthermore, earlier this week, observers identified over a dozen Russian military trucks with soldiers and two armoured personnel carriers at Bangui airport.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov rejected claims that Russia was sending troops to the country.

“We are not sending troops, we are complying with all UN resolutions,” Interfax quoted Bogdanov as saying on December 21.

But he noted that Russia has previously sent military instructors to the country under a cooperation agreement.

“So our people are there, naturally,” Bodganov said