Defense Ministry: First group of Ukrainian peacekeepers moves from Liberia to Ivory Coast
Ten servicemen of the 56th separate helicopter detachment of the United Nations Mission in Liberia have left for the town of Man (Ivory Coast), the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported on Monday.
The main purpose of the redeployment of peacekeepers to the neighboring African country was the preparation of the facilities of the base camp and the airfield for sending there a separate aviation group of the 56th separate helicopter detachment. It consists of three Mi-24 helicopters and 38 military personnel who will participate in the UN operation in Ivory Coast and cross-border operations as part of cooperation between UN missions.
"The redeployment of personnel is carried out in three stages. The first stage of sending Ukrainian peacekeepers to Ivory Coast has currently been launched. Another part of the military, aviation equipment, special vehicles, airborne weapons and ammunition will be transported by air during the second stage. Three Mi-24 military transport helicopters will be redeployed during the final, third stage," the ministry's press service quoted the commander of the 56th separate helicopter detachment, a military pilot 1st class, Colonel Petro Plis, as saying.
Plis noted that Ukraine is turning over a new leaf in its peacekeeping activity.
"Ukraine's participation in the UN operation in Ivory Coast is a sign of professionalism and confidence in our military and testifies to the international community and the United Nations that the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces meets international standards," he said.
As reported, on January 16, 2013, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych signed a law to approve the Verkhovna Rada's resolution to send up to 130 Ukrainian peacekeepers and three Mi-24 helicopters from Liberia to Ivory Coast.
The 56th separate helicopter detachment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which consists of 275 servicemen, has been performing peacekeeping tasks as part of the United Nations Mission in Liberia since 2003. The Ukrainian detachment also has three Mi-24 and eight Mi-8 helicopters.
