A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter has delivered 17 metric tons of humanitarian cargo to Russia's Hmeymim airbase in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday, Sputnik reported.
"Il-76 transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces has delivered humanitarian aid (food products, clothes, items of first necessity) provided by the Russian Federation. Total weight of the humanitarian cargos has reached 17 tons," the ministry's Center for Syrian reconciliation said in a daily bulletin.
Additional UN humanitarian cargo bound for the besieged city of Deir ez-Zor has been prepared and loaded on parachute platforms to later be airdropped by Russian planes, according to the statement.
The United Nations and its partners have continued to offer food, medical, psychological and legal aid to Syria over the past day, the reconciliation center added, noting that work to restore damaged infrastructure and provide temporary shelter is also ongoing.
Russia has been carrying out regular humanitarian aid deliveries to various parts of Syria and has been facilitating the distribution of UN aid in Syria where a civil war has been ongoing since 2011.