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The United States delivered the first of multiple shipment of ventilators to Moscow Russia to help in the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. The first C-17 aircraft landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport on May 21.
Overall, the US is aiming to donate 200 ventilators. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier pointed out that the US is delivering the equipment free of charge, just like Russia previously did with ventilators for Americans. Moreover, Russia in April sent a shipment of medical materials to help Washington to fight the coronavirus spread, reported Russian state news agency TASS.
The landing ceremony was attended by US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan and first deputy director general of the Pirogov National Medical and Surgical Center Dmitry Nikitenko, as the center will receive these ventilators, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova told a briefing.
The second shipment of US-manufactured ventilators will be delivered to Russia next week, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters Thursday.
“Today, a special American flight with ventilators onboard arrives in Moscow,” she said. “The Pirogov [National Medical and Surgical] Center will receive the 50 ventilators we are getting today as well as the expected shipment arriving next week. Its specialists will make a decision on how to further allocate the American equipment across Russian medical facilities considering the sanitary and epidemiological situation and depending on where they are most needed.”
“As a result, first Russia sent a jet to New York with a shipment of Russia-manufactured equipment and materials in a difficult epidemiological period,” Zakharova recalled. “Now, when the US ramped up ventilator producing capabilities, Washington had a chance to support Russia’s efforts to fight the pandemic, which was proposed, agreed and is being implemented now.”
“Both cases are examples of sincere humanitarian gestures and voluntary assistance,” the spokeswoman noted.
