Russia ended its participation in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan on Tuesday, January 24 with President Dmitry Medvedev ordering four military helicopters and 120 troops to leave the country by the middle of February.

The pilots and support staff deployed to Sudan in 2006.

“The Russian soldiers have done their duty and fulfilled honourably their mission of ensuring peace and security in the country,” Medvedev said in a presidential decree, M&C reported.

The main missions of the four Mi-8 helicopters had been to transport UN military observers, goods, and to participate in search and rescue operations.

Russia in mid-January ordered another four-ship helicopter squadron from southern Sudan when its planned six months deployment term came to an end.