Russia to help beef up Venezuela's armed forces - RIA cites official

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia plans to take steps to strengthen Venezuela's armed forces, RIA news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Friday.

Russia is a staunch ally of embattled socialist President Nicolas Maduro and has backed him alongside China, while most western powers have backed opposition leader Juan Guaido.

"I want to underline that I am talking specifically about work with equipment which was delivered there," Ryabkov was quoted as saying.

(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Janet Lawrence)