Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his nation's army to deliver medical aid to Italy – the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic – after offering help during a Saturday phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Russia was loading nine colossal Il-76 cargo planes with eight mobile medical teams, medical equipment and aerosol disinfection trucks to send to Italy’s hardest-hit regions. In photos released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, the doors of military trucks bore signs with heart-shaped Russian and Italian flags that read: “From Russia with love” in Russian, Italian and English. The exploding caseload has overwhelmed Italy’s doctors and nurses and left medical equipment in short supply. Last week, Chinese President XI Jinping pledged to help Italy, moving quickly to send experts and desperately needed medical equipment, including millions of masks.

Source: Fox News March 22, 2020 14:48 UTC