MOSCOW, July 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is in talks with countries bordering on Lebanon to ensure the safe evacuation of its citizens from the country, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
Israel launched a military operation in Lebanon after the Hizbollah Islamist group took two Israeli soldiers hostage last Wednesday and conducted air strikes against its infrastructure. Over 100 Lebanese civilians have since been killed in fighting and more than 200 have been wounded.
"We established contact with neighboring countries to ensure the free and safe evacuation [of Russian citizens]," the ministry said in a statement. "The details of Russian citizens' evacuation from Lebanon are being coordinated with the interested bodies."
According to the Russian Embassy in Beirut, more than 1,400 Russians currently reside in Lebanon.
