Russia To Send Military Engineers To Lebanon

Russian President Vladimir Putin (file photo) (ITAR-TASS) September 11, 2006 -- Russia is to send a battalion of military engineers to Lebanon to help repair damaged infrastructure, President Vladimir Putin said September 11.

Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov emphasized that the Russian troops would not take part in peacekeeping activities and would most likely serve outside the UN peacekeeping zone.

The Kremlin has asked the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, to approve the despatch of the troops.

(AFP, Interfax)