(CNN) -- Five Russian Sukhoi fighter jets have arrived in Iraq, the first of 25 warplanes expected to be delivered under a contract between Moscow and Baghdad, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense said in a statement. A video the ministry released Monday showed the jets, with wings unattached, being pulled toward hangars. "These jet fighters will contribute to increase the combat capability of the air force and the rest of the armed forces in eliminating terrorism," the ministry said. The Su-25 has been in service for more than three decades and was part of the Iraqi air force under Saddam Hussein's regime.
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5 Russian fighter jets arrive in Iraq; 20 more expected
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Al-Maliki criticizes U.S. for not sending fighters to Iraq
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Pentagon says F-16s will arrive in the fall
The announcement follows a comment by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that recent militant advances might have been avoided if @placeholder had proper air power, in the form of fighter jets that Iraq has been trying to get from the United States.