Russian military instructors arrived in Niger on Wednesday in a plane loaded with military equipment, Niger state television RTN said on Thursday, citing an agreement between the junta and Russian President Vladimir Putin to boost cooperation.
It aired footage of a military cargo plane unloading gear as people in fatigues stood by.
“We are here to train the Nigerien army … (and) to develop military cooperation between Russia and Niger,” said a man in camouflage uniform, who RTN said was one of the instructors.
RTN also said Russia had agreed to install an anti-aircraft system in Niger.
Earlier , Niger’s military junta, through spokesman Colonel Amadou Abdramane, announced the immediate cancellation of a military agreement with the United States.
This agreement permitted US military personnel and civilian staff from the Department of Defense to be present on Nigerien territory.