The Russian government said on Monday that it will send two planes to Lebanon to evacuate Russian citizen from war-torn Syria, the first such effort since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad began in March 2011.
The Emergency Situations Ministry said two of its planes will fly to Beirut on Tuesday to carry more than 100 Russians from Syria.
The announcement appears to reflect Moscow's growing concerns about the safety of its citizens in Syria.
Russia's Foreign Ministry has said that it has contingency plans in place to evacuate thousands of Russians from Syria.
Russia has been the main ally of Assad since the start of the conflict, using its veto power at the United Nations Security Council to shield the Syrian leader from sanctions.
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