Russian nationals leave Syria via Beirut

Russian nationals coming here from Damascus have already left Lebanon for Moscow on board a Russian jet. Earlier in the day, two Russian jets, an Ilyushin-76 and Yakovlev-42, had landed in Beirut to help Russians willing to come back to Moscow to do so. The first plan has already left here with 77 Russians aboard, while the other plane is expected to fly later, Lebanon's official news agency reported. Five busses had carried the Russians from a border crossing to Beirut amid stiff security measures. A diplomat in the Russian Embassy in Lebanon had met the Russians at the crossing. Speaking to reporters ahead of leaving, Russians said several nationals were still staying in Syria. All the Russians who have already left Lebanon are civilians, not diplomats or embassy officials. Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov said here Tuesday his country has no plan to evacuate its nationals from Syria, which has been hit by unprecedented protests and unrest.