Russian power workers to leave Baghdad soon

An aircraft serving with Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry, which took off from Ramenskoye airfield near Moscow at 7.00 a.m. Moscow time June 4, and which shaped course for Baghdad, is to evacuate Russian specialists of the Interenergoservis company, RIA Novosti learned at the Emergency Situations Ministry's information department.

The plane is to land in Baghdad at 11.00 a.m., subsequently flying back to Moscow later in the day.

It's intended to evacuate 47 people, who are still staying in Iraq.

Previously, information-department people said that a group of Emergency Situations Ministry officials, as well as a team of doctors from Moscow's Sklifosovsky emergency hospital, will be flying aboard the aircraft.

Moreover, this plane will deliver a specially equipped ambulance of the Emergency Situations Ministry's central rescue unit for transporting a severely injured corporate worker named Anatoly Korenkov back home.

That ambulance, which can completely sustain vital functions, will bring Korenkov to the airport, subsequently taking him to the Sklifosovsky emergency hospital.

The first group of Russian specialists was evacuated from Iraq last week, after a corporate bus was attacked by unknown gunmen. Two Russian citizens were killed, and five more wounded as a result. Two men were listed in serious condition.

One of them, i.e. Vladimir Trifonov, was evacuated to Moscow last week.

The Interenergoservis company is now fulfilling four contracts on Iraqi territory. Contracts for reactivating and repairing the Dora, South Baghdad and Musayeb thermal power plants were signed January 20, March 7 and March 10, respectively. On March 7 Interenergoservis and Iraq's interim administration also inked a contract for the delivery of electronic components to the Nasiriya thermal power plant. All these contracts are worth about $30 million.

Meanwhile the Interenergoservis top management has decided to evacuate all its workers, no matter what, for security reasons, the company's international-projects director Yevgeny Loginov told RIA Novosti.

Those violating this order will be punished and even fired; no one will be allowed to work at Iraqi facilities nowadays, Loginov noted. Meanwhile quite a few people are ready to stay in Iraq under any pretext, Loginov added. This time, the corporate management will follow orders, no matter what, Loginov went on to say.

The chief of Interenergoservis's Baghdad office, one specialist and one translator, who are staying behind in Baghdad, have to finish all paperwork on suspending corporate operations at this stage. They are also supposed to complete all financial settlements with the Iraqi side.