KYIV. Aug 25 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukrainian sappers have helped Iraqi experts in destroying explosive devices found while cleaning civil facilities from mines in the Wasit province, the press service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"At the request of Al Khasib Azraq, chief of the civil defense department in the Wasit province, a sapper team of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 6th detached mechanized brigade led by engineer service chief Lieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Kovalchuk helped the Iraqi colleagues destroy a new load of ammunition and explosives," a press service official told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"The load numbered 275 devices, including anti-tank shells, mortar shells and ammo for portable grenade launchers," the official said.
According to him, sappers also destroyed 30kg of explosives that were seized by local law-enforcement agencies from rebels in the town of Al Kut during a stabilization operation.
Ukrainian servicemen delivered the ammo to a special range and blasted them, following all required precautions.
It is not the first joint sapper operation, the official said. As a sign of professional support, the Ukrainian sappers have handed over two mine detectors to the sapper team of the Wasit civil defense directorate and held a practical exercise in mine detector operation with their colleagues.