Russia sending aircraft to evacuate Russian citizens from Syria.

Russia’s Emergencies Ministry is sending two planes to the Lebanese capital to pick those Russians who want to leave Syria torn by the ongoing civil conflict. The aircraft leave for Beirut on Tuesday, some 100 Russians are expected to be evacuated.

Two planes, Il-76 and Yak-42, both able to cary up to 120 passengers will be dispatched for Beirut, the ministry confirmed on Monday. The crews will include medics and psychologists.

About 150 Russian citizens, who want to leave Syria are already in Beirut. Most of those being evacuated are women and children.

Earlier media reported that Russia was considering using the navy to evacuate its citizens from Syria. This appeared to be confirmed when several warships were sent to the Mediterranean sea. But the Foreign Ministry denied the speculation, saying the deployment was for scheduled military drills.

In December a member of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, a newly formed opposition body recognized by the West, called Russian citizens in Syria ‘legitimate targets.’

“Russia, like Iran, supports the Assad regime with weapons and ammunition, as well as in the political arena, so the citizens of these countries are legitimate targets for militants in Syria,” Haitham al-Maleh, a member of the coalition told.

A Russian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AFP news agency: “There are thousands of Russian citizens in Syria. The issue is that the Russian airline is no longer flying to Damascus, so we are helping some 100, maximum 150 people to leave Syria via Beirut, which is very close.

“We are simply helping people who have gone to the Russian consulate in Damascus requesting assistance.”

Russia suspended consular operations in Syria’s largest city Aleppo last week after a bombing at its university killed 80 people, but its consulate in the capital Damascus remains open.

The diplomat was adamant: “This is not an evacuation. There is no pressure at all on Russians in Syria to leave the country because there are many areas in Damascus which are completely safe and free from violence and clashes.”

He conceded, however, that this airlift would not be the last to help Russians leave the country.

“It will be an ongoing operation. Whenever enough people request assistance at the consulate in Damascus, we will organise for new planes.”

The number set to leave in this operation is a small proportion of the estimated 5,300 Russian citizens registered with authorities in Syria, with the total number thought to be much higher.

Russia’s foreign ministry has previously said that contingency plans were being made for a large-scale evacuation, should it become necessary, which would likely include its naval maintenance and supply facility at the Syrian port of Tartous.

A group of five ships including two assault ships, a tanker and an escort vessel have been dispatched from their Baltic Sea port to the Mediterranean, putting them within reach of Syria.

Moscow has also begun high profile naval exercises in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, including off Syria’s coast, in what have been described as the largest naval exercises since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Some analysts believe the exercises are a cover for the preparation of a mass evacuation from Syria.

ccording to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov there are thousands of Russian citizens living in Syria. Many of them are not registered with the consulate, mostly women and children from mixed marriages.

Another Russian official, Federation Council member Albert Kazharov, estimated the number of Russian citizens in Syria at 100,000.

Russia also has a naval base in Syria which is manned by some 50 sailors and officers. The Tartus base was founded in the 1970s during the Soviet times. Neglected in the 1990s, the base has been recently revived and now is used for repairs and refueling Russian ships in the Medditeranean.

The bases has remained operational despite the blooky conflict that has been raging in Syria for the last two years. However, if the lives of those at the base are put in danger the staff will be evacuated, Russian authorities said in July.

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