Military aviation deployed in Kazakhstan and Russia's Siberia ahead of spacecraft launch

ASTANA. KAZINFORM The Russian Defense Ministry's aviation has been deployed at airfields in Kazakhstan and Russia's Siberia to ensure safe launch of the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft due on Friday, the Russian military said on Wednesday, TASS reports.

The aircraft have arrived at airfields in Kazakhstan's Baikonur and Karaganda and Russia's Gorno-Altaisk and Kansk (Siberia).

"A total of 125 servicemen, six Mi-8 helicopters, three An-26 and An-12 planes, as well as ten all-terrain vehicles, including two Blue Bird [ZIL-4906] search and rescue vehicles will take part in ensuring the safe launch of Soyuz MS-05," a spokesman for Russia's Central Military District said.

The launch is scheduled for 18:42 Moscow time on July 28. The Soyuz MS-05 will take crewmembers Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency, Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Randolf Bresnik of NASA to the International Space Station.