Russia sends humanitarian aid to Libya

Russia's Emergencies Ministry has sent humanitarian aid to rebel-controlled Benghazi, Libya, a ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. "At 9 a.m. Moscow time (05:00 GMT) an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft from Russia's Emergencies Ministry took off from the Ramenskoye Airfield outside Moscow to Benghazi," the spokesperson said, adding that the plane would deliver 36 tons of aid. Libya has been rocked by fighting between pro- and anti-Gaddafi forces since mid-February. An international military operation in Libya began on March 19, following a UN resolution authorizing countries "to take all necessary measures" to help protect Libyan civilians from attacks by Gaddafi forces, and was extended until late September.