Russian Foreign Minister Has No Information About Lifting Russian Paratroopers To Afghanistan

Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov said he had no information about Russian paratroopers being lifted to Afghanistan. Some media outlets claimed with reference to some informed source in Uzbekistan that about 20 Russian IL-76 combat and transport aircraft had landed at the Uzbek military airfield of Tuzel 5 km from Tashkent on Wednesday evening, which were allegedly heading for Afghanistan. Ivanov also reminded the audience of an earlier circulated official statement saying that Russian transport aircraft had delivered an advanced force to Kabul in order to set up centres of humanitarian assistance in the Afghan capital. Efforts are already being taken for this purpose, noted the minister. In his words, a field hospital will also be set up in Kabul as part of the humanitarian assistance program, and everything else will be done to render humanitarian aid.