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Moscow could lose billions in arms sales to Libya - expert

Published:Monday | February 28, 2011 | 12:00 AM
British Ambassador to the United Nations Mark Lyall Grant and American Ambassador Susan Rice vote during a Security Council vote on the peace and security in Africa, on Saturday, at UN headquarters.

 

Moscow (AP)

A Russian arms expert says Moscow could lose billions of dollars in arms sales to Libya after the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Moammar Gadhafi's regime.

Tripoli actively bought Soviet weapons in the 1980s, and in January 2010, Moscow announced a $1.8 billion deal for Libya to buy six Yak-130 military planes. Talks were under way for other multibillion arms contracts.

Independent arms expert Pavel Felgenhauer said yesterday the contracts and the talks were suspended after Gadhafi brutally suppressed anti-government protests across the North African nation.

The Interfax news agency cited an unnamed Russian military official as saying the Russian losses might amount to $4-billion.