KIEV, Dec. 21 – NATO has extended a contract to lease Ukrainian and Russian An-124-100 Ruslan heavy transport aircraft with a carrying capacity of 120 tons under the NATO's Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS) for the use of 18 countries of the alliance and the European Union.

Antonov Airlines CEO Kostiantyn Lushakov told Interfax-Ukraine that the contract was prolonged in Luxemburg on December 17 by the NATO Maintenance & Supply Agency (NAMSA) and Ruslan SALIS (RS, Leipzig, Germany).