Putin Orders Emergency Evacuation Flights From Middle East for 23,500 Russians

President Vladimir Putin has ordered emergency evacuation flights from the Middle East, mobilizing key ministries as more than 23,000 Russian tourists remain in the region amid escalating conflict.

Photo: flickr. com by Jordi Cucurull, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

An aircraft taking off

Emergency Orders to Key Ministries

Speaking during a government meeting, Vladimir Putin confirmed that he had instructed the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organize outbound evacuation flights.

The president added that leaders of Gulf states had pledged assistance to Russian nationals, but stressed that Russian authorities themselves "must do everything necessary” to ensure citizens return home safely.

More Than 23,000 Tourists in the Region

Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov reported that approximately 23,500 Russian tourists were vacationing in the Middle East at the start of the conflict.

He clarified that a ban on the sale of tour packages to Israel and Iran had already been in place. On March 1, the Association of Tour Operators reported that around 8,000 Russian tourists were stranded in the region.

Airline Pobeda announced three evacuation flights on March 4 and 5 from the United Arab Emirates to Makhachkala and Moscow.

Transport Ministry Sets Deadline

Deputy Transport Minister Vladimir Poteshkin instructed airlines to prepare a detailed schedule of evacuation flights through March 7.

Full Refunds for Cancelled Tours

Maxim Reshetnikov stated that tour operators must refund Russian travelers in full for trips to the Middle East.

"An official ban on the sale of such tours came into force on March 3 so that the problem does not escalate further. Tour operators are also required to return funds to tourists in full. After the relevant decisions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this mechanism began to operate," the official said.

He added that authorities will allow tour operators to draw from their Personal Responsibility Fund to cover refunds and will defer required contributions to the fund for three months, from April 15 to July 15.

The measure aims to support tour operators as they manage what Reshetnikov described as a substantial volume of payments to affected travelers.