"These are people who hold tickets for Aeroflot flights that have been cancelled," embassy press attache Vladimir Cherepanov said. The embassy does not yet know how many Russian citizens are among the passengers.
Beirut airport was closed on May 7 following clashes between government troops and the opposition. Almost all foreign airlines canceled regular flights to the Lebanese capital, including Russia's flagship air carrier Aeroflot. The Russian Embassy evacuated 24 Russians to neighboring Syria and flew them home last Sunday.
Aeroflot plans to send a 218-seat Boeing-767 jet to Syria on May 16 to bring Russians home, Cherepanov said.
He said the embassy is rendering full assistance to Aeroflot and ensuring security for those waiting to travel.
The Syrian-backed Islamist group Hezbollah took control of the Muslim half of Beirut on Friday after three days of fighting with pro-government militia. At least 20 people have reportedly been killed and over 50 wounded in the worst internal clashes since the 1975-90 civil war.
