MOSCOW   -    Russia will send military experts to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to help maintain the weapons and military equipment supplied by Moscow, the Kremlin said Friday. “Many pieces of the equipment can be used for a long time with appropriate service.

So the specialist will be sent there for the maintenance of the equipment,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a daily briefing. During the visit of Republic of Congo’s President Denis Sassou Nguesso to Moscow on Thursday, Russia and the DRC signed a contract to send Russian military specialists to the African state. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told reporters after the signing that the contract concerns primarily repairs.

and maintenance of military equipment of Soviet and Russian production, including armored vehicles, artillery pieces, rocket launchers and helicopters.

Fomin added that negotiations on new supplies to the DRC are underway, but did not provide details.