Russian Foreign Ministry Urges Newsmen to Leave Iraq

The Russian Foreign Ministry has addressed managers of the Russian-based media outlets to recall their correspondents urgently from Iraq for safety reasons, Alexander Yakovenko, ministry spokesman, said to Novosti.

The ministry is badly alarmed as reporters are shrugging off recommendations to leave, which have come from the ministry and the Russian Embassy to Iraq.

The ministry and the embassy have done what they can to protect Russian reporters. They found shelter on the ambassadorial premises, on their request, for last night and today's small hours. Be that as it may, they are better to leave the country now that war has broken out.

There are presently 26 Russian journalists in Iraq, as far as the ministry knows.