Russia sends 5 more fighter jets to base near Türkiye

Russia deployed five Mig-29 fighters and a multi-purpose helicopter to a military base in Armenia, near the Turkish border.

Mig-29 fighter jet. Photo: Sputnik

The aircraft have been transferred to a military airport in the Armenian capital Yerevan and will soon arrive at Erebuni airport, where they will be handed over to the 102nd garrison there, RT reported, citing a statement from Russia's Southeastern Military District.

"Military engineers will assemble 4+ generation fighters and Mi-8MT helicopters, and then put them into service," the statement said. "Pilots of the unit will begin flight practice on the new Mig-29s in mid-March."

Four of the newly deployed aircraft are regular Mig-29s, while one is an upgraded version of the Mig-29, with an increased payload of up to 4 tons and a number of other improvements.

Erebuni Airport is located south of Yerevan and about 20 km from the Turkish border. Russia has 18 Mig-29s and 7 Mi-24P helicopters stationed here, not counting the above-mentioned reinforcements.The border between Armenia and Türkiye has been closed since 1993 due to long-standing diplomatic problems between the two sides.

The deployment of the aircraft came a day after Russia introduced a draft resolution demanding Türkiye immediately stop shelling and military actions against Syria. However, the UN Security Council rejected the proposal.

French President Francois Hollande warned on February 19 that there was a risk of war between Russia and Türkiye over Syria, and called on Moscow to stop supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

According to VNE