Macedonia will receive new military equipment from abroad in coming days, including combat helicopters, the daily Dnevnik reported Tuesday, quoting sources from the defense ministry.
Military sources in Skopje confirmed to AFP that Skopje is seriously considering buying new helicopters, but could not say when a deal was likely to be clinched, or when delivery could be expected.
The Dnevnik reported that two Russian KA-52 helicopters, six US-made helicopters, and four Mi-24 helicopters and four Sukhoi-25 planes made in Ukraine would be included in the delivery.
Some of the aircraft could be expected before June 10, the rest five days later, the daily said, adding that the purchase of new tanks and other military vehicles was also being considered.
Since fighting between government forces and ethnic Albanian guerillas erupted in February, the Macedonian army has shown itself to be severely under-staffed and under-equipped.
Western experts, notably the British magazine Jane's Defence Weekly, reported that Macedonian soldiers were "bad equipped, badly trained and badly conducted."
The Macedonian army itself has admitted that resistance by the guerillas has made operations on the ground difficult.
Macedonia in March received four Mi-24 transport helicopters from Ukraine, and government forces have regularly used them in the clashes with the guerillas of the self-styled National Liberation army (NLA) in the north of the country -- SKOPJE (AFP)
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