MOSCOW. Aug 18 (Interfax) - An aircraft of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, which delivered humanitarian aid to Syria on Monday, flew back with 87 Russian and CIS citizens who wished to leave the armed conflict zone, a spokesman for the ministry told Interfax.
"The (Ilyushin) Il-76 aircraft has now left Latakia for Moscow. On board are 87 Russian, CIS and Syrian citizens who expressed a wish to leave the Syrian Arab Republic due to the rise in hostilities in its territory. Among the passengers are 54 Russians, 12 Syrians, ten Ukrainians, as well as Belarusian and Kazakh citizens," the spokesperson said.
The same plane delivered over 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Latakia earlier on Monday. The aid includes foodstuffs such as canned meat, fish, milk and sugar, as well as bed sheets.