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| Russia sends planes to Beirut for Russians in Syria | Russia sends planes to Beirut for Russians in Syria |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Russia is sending two passenger planes to Beirut to fly home Russian citizens who have fled the conflict in Syria. | Russia is sending two passenger planes to Beirut to fly home Russian citizens who have fled the conflict in Syria. |
| The emergency situations ministry said more than 100 people were expected to board the aircraft on Tuesday. | The emergency situations ministry said more than 100 people were expected to board the aircraft on Tuesday. |
| The foreign ministry has contingency plans for the large-scale evacuation of 30,000 Russian citizens in Syria. | The foreign ministry has contingency plans for the large-scale evacuation of 30,000 Russian citizens in Syria. |
| It would be the first such airlift since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. Moscow has been a staunch ally. | It would be the first such airlift since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. Moscow has been a staunch ally. |
| Russia has used its veto power on the UN Security Council to block resolutions seeking to condemn Mr Assad or impose sanctions. | Russia has used its veto power on the UN Security Council to block resolutions seeking to condemn Mr Assad or impose sanctions. |
| Last month, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov became the first senior Russian official to acknowledge publicly that the Syrian government might be defeated by opposition forces. | Last month, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov became the first senior Russian official to acknowledge publicly that the Syrian government might be defeated by opposition forces. |
| Syria's government was "progressively losing control", he said, adding that "the victory of the Syrian opposition cannot be excluded". | Syria's government was "progressively losing control", he said, adding that "the victory of the Syrian opposition cannot be excluded". |
| The foreign ministry later clarified Mr Bogdanov's comments, insisting Russia had not changed its position on Syria and "never will". | The foreign ministry later clarified Mr Bogdanov's comments, insisting Russia had not changed its position on Syria and "never will". |
| In a separate development, the chief of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi, said UN efforts to help resolve the Syrian crisis had faltered. | |
| "I have to say that all contacts made by the special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi have so far not yielded a flicker of hope to put this crisis on the exit track," Mr al-Arabi said on Monday at an economic summit in Saudi Arabia. | |
| Earlier this month, talks in Geneva between Mr Brahimi and senior US and Russian diplomats ended without a breakthrough. | |
| The talks had been aimed at discussing how to implement a plan proposed last June by the Action Group for Syria, which called for an immediate cessation of violence and the establishment of a transitional government. | |
| Responding to a question after the meeting, Mr Brahimi said: "If you are asking whether there is a solution around the corner, I'm not sure that is the case." | |
| The UN said recently that more than 60,000 people had been killed since the uprising against the president began in March 2011. |