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Russia’s Ambassador to CAR Vladimir Titorenko said on December 21. A member of the close protection unit for Central African Republic (CAR) President Touadera, composed by Russian private security company operatives from Sewa Security, are seen in Berengo, CAR on August 4, 2018.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov also denied the deployment on the same day."We are not sending troops, we are complying with all UN resolutions," he said.The claims that Russia only had five defense ministry employees in CAR, and that Moscow did not send in additional troops, are false.The Russian foreign ministry confirmed the deployment to CAR on December 22."For the purpose of providing assistance to [the capital] Bangui in strengthening the defenses of the Central African Republic Russia promptly responded to the request of its leadership to dispatch a group of 300 instructors to train personnel for the national armed forces," the ministry said in a statement.The foreign ministry did not provide any explanation as to what caused its initial denials.Russia says its military instructors are in CAR under a 2018 defense cooperation agreement with the country’s government. And that Russia has boosted military presence there to support its government against paramilitary groups who are seeking to destabilize the internal situation and frustrate" the December 27 presidential election in CAR.However
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