Group of Russians ready to leave Lebanon by sea - embassy

ATHENS, July 19 (RIA Novosti) - A group of Russians will be evacuated from Beirut to Cyprus by sea, a Russian diplomat said Wednesday.

"We received reports that a ferry will evacuate a group of foreigners, including 17 Russians," said Vladimir Maistrenko, a Russian Embassy counselor in Nicosia. "Most of the Russians are women married to Lebanese."

The ferry is expected to arrive in Cyprus Wednesday night.

An emergencies ministry official earlier said a total of 270 people evacuated across the Syrian border from Lebanon, where fighting has now entered its second week, were currently at the Latakia airport and more than 1,000 were expected to arrive to Syria in the next few days.