MOSCOW - The second aircraft of the Russian Emergencies Ministry carrying humanitarian aid to India took off from Zhukovsky International Airport near Moscow, the airport's spokesperson told Sputnik on Wednesday.

The first aircraft departed at 17:00 Moscow time (14:00 GMT).

"The second plane belonging to the Emergencies Ministry with humanitarian aid for India on board departed from the Zhukovsky airport at 19:55," the spokesperson said.

Earlier in the day, Russia pledged to deliver to India over 22 tons of anti-coronavirus equipment and drugs, including 20 units of oxygen equipment, 75 lung ventilators, 150 medical monitors and 200,000 packages of medicines. According to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, all high-tech equipment, as well as Favipiravir drug, is Russian-produced.

India has been struggling with a new wave of the pandemic since mid-February, continually setting daily records in new cases, while the official death toll topped 200,000 on Wednesday.