Russia evacuates citizens in Syria

Russia has evacuated dozens of its citizens from Syria as the country’s foreign minister warned that military intervention by the US and its allies would destabilise the region.

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said it evacuated 89 people, 75 of them Russians, from Syria yesterday, with more expected today.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a statement today that armed intervention being considered by the US and its allies “will lead to the long-term destabilisation of the situation in the country and the region”.

News agency Itar-Tass reported that the Russian Embassy in Syria insisted there was no plan to evacuate diplomats.

Tens of thousands of Russian citizens live in Syria, the legacy of years of co-operation and exchange between the two countries.