Russia Continues Evacuation From War-Torn Syria: 80 More People Saved

A Russian plane has evacuated 66 Russian citizens, as well as nationals of Ukraine and Belarus, from conflict-torn Syria, the Russian Emergencies Ministry reports.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – According to the Ministry's representative, some 34 children were among the evacuees.

"The Il-76 flight from Latakia has landed at the Moscow Domodedovo airport. Eighty people left Syria on the special plane, including 66 Russian citizens, seven of Belarus, four of Ukraine and three of Uzbekistan."

On Thursday, the Ilyushin/Candid Il-76 aircraft delivered over 21.5 metric tons of humanitarian cargo to Syria’s port city of Latakia.

Overall, Russia has provided Syria with over 530 metric tons of humanitarian aid, an assistance that comes amid ongoing violence in the country, which has taken the lives of over 220,000 people, according to UN data, forcing millions of others to flee their homes.

The Syrian army has been fighting against several opposition and rebel groups, including Islamic State radicals and the al-Nusra Front (Jabhat al-Nusra), since the start of a civil war in the country in 2011.

Russia has evacuated over 1,100 people, including Russian, Ukrainian and European nationals, from Syria.

Armed conflict in Syria

© Sputnik / Andrey Stenin

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