Zimbabwe has received the first batch of Russian helicopters that are meant for security agencies and emergency medical services.

The 18 helicopters delivered on Thursday are part of a fleet of 32 helicopters expected from Rostec - a Russian state corporation - before the end of next year. They will be used "for air ambulances, air policing and rescue missions in case of disasters", state-owned media reports.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa attended a ceremony on Thursday where the helicopters were delivered at the main airport in the capital, Harare.

Zimbabwe has been a close ally of Russia for decades and President Mnangagwa said the bond between the two countries "was unbreakable, solid and had stood the test of time".

"When I discussed with President (Vladimir) Putin, he recommended that their company produce the type of equipment we want and we have ordered these 18," Mr Mnangagwa is quoted as saying.

It comes four months after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, another close Russian ally, visited Zimbabwe in a trip the foreign ministry said was aimed at boosting ties between the two countries.