MOSCOW

Russia sent Friday doctors and medical supplies to Serbia to help the country fight the coronavirus.

The move came after Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandr Vucic agreed on the provision of humanitarian aid to Serbia in order to fight the spread of the infection, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"The plane will deliver an advanced group of military doctors, specialists in virology and epidemiology with modern equipment for epidemiological diagnostics and disinfection measures to the Batajnica Air Base [20 km northwest of Belgrade]," it said.

A total of 11 flights are planned to take more specialists and deliver all necessary equipment, the ministry said.

Serbia is the third country after Italy and the U.S. where Russia has sent doctors and humanitarian aid.

Russian Defense Ministry specialists are currently working in Italy, while a plane carrying medical supplies and equipment was sent to the U.S. earlier this week.

Since appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the coronavirus has spread to at least 181 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than one million cases (almost 1,027,000) have been reported worldwide so far, with the global death toll nearing 54,000, and over 218,000 recoveries.