Russia evacuates more than 100 citizens from Syria

MOSCOW (AFP) –  Russia evacuated 116 Russian citizens and nationals of other ex-Soviet states on two planes belonging to the emergencies ministry which flew them from the Syrian port city of Latakia, the ministry said Wednesday.

The first plane, an Ilyushin-76 cargo plane, brought back 89 people wanting to leave the conflict-torn country and landed at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport late on Tuesday.

“On board were 89 people wanting to leave Syria, including 75 Russians,” emergencies ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius said in a statement on the ministry website. “They are mostly women and children.”

The second plane, an Ilyushin-62, landed in Latakia in the early hours of Wednesday and returned to Moscow later that morning, the emergencies ministry said.