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A blue helmet soldier in the Congo during the landing of a helicopter
Photo: Moses Sawasawa / dpa
Ukraine is withdrawing its blue helmets and military equipment from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A UN spokesman said Tuesday that the Ukrainian government had officially informed the UN that its military contingent, including personnel, helicopters and equipment, would be recalled.
The Ukrainian contingent as part of the UN stabilization mission in the Central African country (Monusco) includes 250 soldiers.
According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, several helicopter pilots are among them.
According to the UN and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine is also involved in United Nations peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and Mali.
According to the Ministry of Defence, there are a total of six missions.
Accordingly, Ukrainian soldiers are also stationed in Abyei, Cyprus and Kosovo.
According to the Reuters news agency, Ukraine intends to withdraw from all peacekeeping missions.
This affects a total of 300 soldiers.
Russia is hardly involved militarily in the 20 or so UN peacekeeping missions worldwide, which count a total of around 100,000 peacekeepers.
Almost two weeks ago, Russia brutally invaded Ukraine.
According to the UN, more than 470 civilians have been killed since then.
These are only the officially recorded deaths, the real number of civilian casualties is very likely much higher according to the United Nations.
Russian forces are laying siege to several cities, including the port city of Mariupol, where the humanitarian situation is said to be dire.
Hoh/Reuters/AFP
