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Defense Ministry to Auction 120,000 Military Surplus Items

The Defense Ministry believes the auction will attract the interest of hunters and other off-road travelers.

Russia's Defense Ministry is preparing to unload 120,000 pieces of military hardware and surplus equipment at auction at a new military-themed amusement park outside Moscow, a military official told news agency RIA Novosti on Monday.

The first auctions will take place next week during a large military industry show called Army-2015, said Dmitry Kurakin, head of the Defense Ministry's property management department. Items are being sold by the lot, with around 1,000 units of hardware in each lot.

The equipment ranges from army boots and uniforms to mobile kitchens and even heavy GAZ, VAZ and ZiL cars and trucks, according to a catalog published on the Defense Ministry's website.

The Defense Ministry believes the auction will attract the interest of hunters and other off-road travelers who might find a use for some of the heavier all-terrain vehicles on sale.

The auction will also include "auxiliary vessels that are at the bases of the Northern and Baltic fleets [such as] tankers, control ships, floating cranes and workshops," RIA quoted a Defense Ministry statement as saying.

The ships, as depicted in the catalog, look to be in bad condition. According to RIA, the Defense Ministry said none of the vessels can be used for their intended operations.

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