Russia Begins Airlift to Lebanon

AP notes that Russia has started to airlift a military engineering unit to Lebanon:

RIA-Novosti quoted Russian air force commander Vladimir Mikhailov as saying that the first flight carrying 17 soldiers and 80 tons of equipment left Tuesday morning and a second plane was scheduled to leave with 130 troops aboard.

In the next 3 days, Russia will send about 300 soldiers and some 130 tons of equipment. The primary task of the soldiers will be to repair bridges damaged during the recent conflict.

The force is not part of the 5,000 strong peacekeeping contingent in South Lebanon, to which Russia has not contributed.