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| Syria Evacuation Hints at a New Russian Attitude | |
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| MOSCOW — About 80 Russian citizens crossed the Syrian border into Lebanon and flew into a Moscow airport before dawn on Wednesday, a small-scale evacuation that may signal the dwindling Russian hopes that President Bashar al-Assad will regain control of the country. The move came as a United Nations’ humanitarian official emerged after a rare mission through the conflict zone to express shock at the scale of devastation. | MOSCOW — About 80 Russian citizens crossed the Syrian border into Lebanon and flew into a Moscow airport before dawn on Wednesday, a small-scale evacuation that may signal the dwindling Russian hopes that President Bashar al-Assad will regain control of the country. The move came as a United Nations’ humanitarian official emerged after a rare mission through the conflict zone to express shock at the scale of devastation. |
| Russia took pains to issue assurances that the departures of its citizens was not a large-scale evacuation, seeking to avoid sending a dire message to Mr. Assad and his circle. One top Foreign Ministry official said that the two Emergency Services planes had been sent to Beirut to deliver humanitarian aid and had simply offered a free trip to Russia for those “wishing to go.” | Russia took pains to issue assurances that the departures of its citizens was not a large-scale evacuation, seeking to avoid sending a dire message to Mr. Assad and his circle. One top Foreign Ministry official said that the two Emergency Services planes had been sent to Beirut to deliver humanitarian aid and had simply offered a free trip to Russia for those “wishing to go.” |
| The number of people who left was small, considering that more than 30,000 Russians are believed to live in Syria. Still, the flights had symbolic weight. | The number of people who left was small, considering that more than 30,000 Russians are believed to live in Syria. Still, the flights had symbolic weight. |
| “You get it from all directions – if the Free Army catches you as a Russian citizen, they’ll cut off your head,” said Albert Omar, drawing his finger across his throat. “Just like that. And from the other direction there are the bombings, the rockets. They’re attacking the Free Army, but you hear it, the rumble, and you feel it.” | “You get it from all directions – if the Free Army catches you as a Russian citizen, they’ll cut off your head,” said Albert Omar, drawing his finger across his throat. “Just like that. And from the other direction there are the bombings, the rockets. They’re attacking the Free Army, but you hear it, the rumble, and you feel it.” |
| “Thank God they finally did it,” he said, of the evacuation by Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations. “I called and called. And now they really came through for us.” | “Thank God they finally did it,” he said, of the evacuation by Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations. “I called and called. And now they really came through for us.” |
| Briefing reporters in Beirut, Lebanon, the United Nations humanitarian official, John Ging, said conditions inside Syria were “appalling” and that he was “shocked on so many levels” by the scarcity of food, medication, clean water and sanitation. The United Nations mission, which was given access by both pro-government and rebel forces, found that after 22 months of conflict, Syria’s grain production had been cut in half, with many farmers unable to harvest because they could safely reach their land. | Briefing reporters in Beirut, Lebanon, the United Nations humanitarian official, John Ging, said conditions inside Syria were “appalling” and that he was “shocked on so many levels” by the scarcity of food, medication, clean water and sanitation. The United Nations mission, which was given access by both pro-government and rebel forces, found that after 22 months of conflict, Syria’s grain production had been cut in half, with many farmers unable to harvest because they could safely reach their land. |
| “Every mother we met was appealing for us to understand the effects of this conflict on their children,” Mr. Ging said. | “Every mother we met was appealing for us to understand the effects of this conflict on their children,” Mr. Ging said. |
| He said Syrians’ primary concern was to find a way to end the conflict. “We appeal to those who do have the political power to end this,” he said. | He said Syrians’ primary concern was to find a way to end the conflict. “We appeal to those who do have the political power to end this,” he said. |
| But a negotiated solution appears no closer. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations’ secretary general, told a news conference at his New York headquarters that after discussions with Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations and Arab League envoy seeking to negotiate a political transition, that he was not optimistic. | But a negotiated solution appears no closer. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations’ secretary general, told a news conference at his New York headquarters that after discussions with Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations and Arab League envoy seeking to negotiate a political transition, that he was not optimistic. |
| “The situation is very dire, very difficult,” Mr. Ban said of the bitter fighting, in which roughly 60,000 people have died. “We don’t see much prospect of a resolution at this time.” | “The situation is very dire, very difficult,” Mr. Ban said of the bitter fighting, in which roughly 60,000 people have died. “We don’t see much prospect of a resolution at this time.” |
| The United Nations is helping organize a donor conference in Kuwait on Jan. 30 in hopes of raising some of the $1.5 billion needed for humanitarian aid for the refugees and displaced Syrians over the next six months. Mr. Ban lamented that previous appeals from the United Nations had raised far less than was needed. In rebel areas, opposition forces are scrambling to raise money and broaden their donor base. Another official on Mr. Ging’s mission, Ted Chaiban, director of emergency programs for Unicef, said grass-roots activists — many of them young men and women straight out of college — were conducting most humanitarian aid efforts. | The United Nations is helping organize a donor conference in Kuwait on Jan. 30 in hopes of raising some of the $1.5 billion needed for humanitarian aid for the refugees and displaced Syrians over the next six months. Mr. Ban lamented that previous appeals from the United Nations had raised far less than was needed. In rebel areas, opposition forces are scrambling to raise money and broaden their donor base. Another official on Mr. Ging’s mission, Ted Chaiban, director of emergency programs for Unicef, said grass-roots activists — many of them young men and women straight out of college — were conducting most humanitarian aid efforts. |
| Noting that the crisis would enter its third year in March, Mr. Ban said it was time for the Security Council to overcome its disagreements on Syria. | Noting that the crisis would enter its third year in March, Mr. Ban said it was time for the Security Council to overcome its disagreements on Syria. |
| “The international community, and in particular the Security Council, has a grave responsibility to act to bring the desperate suffering of the Syrian people to an end,” he said. | “The international community, and in particular the Security Council, has a grave responsibility to act to bring the desperate suffering of the Syrian people to an end,” he said. |
| Russia and China have blocked repeated Security Council efforts to coerce Mr. Assad to step down. But Moscow has begun to publicly acknowledge Mr. Assad’s losses on the battlefield and to prepare to protect its interests during a chaotic transition. Russia’s top Middle East envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, said Tuesday that Russian negotiators were interested in establishing closer contact with “several new opposition groups, with those we have not been in touch with yet.” | Russia and China have blocked repeated Security Council efforts to coerce Mr. Assad to step down. But Moscow has begun to publicly acknowledge Mr. Assad’s losses on the battlefield and to prepare to protect its interests during a chaotic transition. Russia’s top Middle East envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, said Tuesday that Russian negotiators were interested in establishing closer contact with “several new opposition groups, with those we have not been in touch with yet.” |
| “You know at first the forecasts were two to three months, four, and it is already two years,” Mr. Bogdanov told Russian news agencies, forecasting the likelihood of an even more protracted conflict . | “You know at first the forecasts were two to three months, four, and it is already two years,” Mr. Bogdanov told Russian news agencies, forecasting the likelihood of an even more protracted conflict . |
| About a dozen Russian warships have been sent to maneuver off the Syrian port of Tartus, where they could also help to evacuate Russians from the coastal areas where many of them live. Any decision to leave would be particularly wrenching for the tens of thousands of Russian-speaking women who met and married Syrian men who were sent to study in the former Soviet Union and who now live across Syria. | About a dozen Russian warships have been sent to maneuver off the Syrian port of Tartus, where they could also help to evacuate Russians from the coastal areas where many of them live. Any decision to leave would be particularly wrenching for the tens of thousands of Russian-speaking women who met and married Syrian men who were sent to study in the former Soviet Union and who now live across Syria. |
| At the airport in Moscow, Russian evacuees described a sharp deterioration over the last year. Natalya Yunus said she ran a salon on the outskirts of Damascus until the Free Syrian Army captured her neighborhood, asking, “where could I go with no lights, no water, no money?” | At the airport in Moscow, Russian evacuees described a sharp deterioration over the last year. Natalya Yunus said she ran a salon on the outskirts of Damascus until the Free Syrian Army captured her neighborhood, asking, “where could I go with no lights, no water, no money?” |
| “It was good for me there for a long time, but in the end it was terrifying,” said Ms. Yunus, whose husband remained behind in Syria. “Of course it’s terrifying, it’s a war, what can you do? There are machine guns, planes. And now I’m in a situation with no way out. There is nowhere to go.” | “It was good for me there for a long time, but in the end it was terrifying,” said Ms. Yunus, whose husband remained behind in Syria. “Of course it’s terrifying, it’s a war, what can you do? There are machine guns, planes. And now I’m in a situation with no way out. There is nowhere to go.” |
| Her daughter, Anzhelika, said she had also left her husband behind. | Her daughter, Anzhelika, said she had also left her husband behind. |
| “We ran,” she said. “How else can you put it?” | “We ran,” she said. “How else can you put it?” |
| Rushana Vildanova, 26, spent the early morning waiting at the airport, waiting for her husband, Ali, who is a shopkeeper, and their 7-year-old daughter. She said Ali’s mother had died when the roof of their house caved in after a bomb exploded in their section of Damascus, and he was badly injured. She said she left Syria at the very beginning of the conflict, and that in recent months, he confided that he wanted to get out. | Rushana Vildanova, 26, spent the early morning waiting at the airport, waiting for her husband, Ali, who is a shopkeeper, and their 7-year-old daughter. She said Ali’s mother had died when the roof of their house caved in after a bomb exploded in their section of Damascus, and he was badly injured. She said she left Syria at the very beginning of the conflict, and that in recent months, he confided that he wanted to get out. |
| “I left right when it started, he stayed behind because he never thought it would get this bad,” she said. “At first there were demonstrations, and it all started there.” | “I left right when it started, he stayed behind because he never thought it would get this bad,” she said. “At first there were demonstrations, and it all started there.” |
| Natalya Ivanova was waiting for her daughter, Olga, who has lived in Syria for the last 13 years. “What could she do? She took her daughter and she left, even though her husband had to stay behind,” she said. “And we are happy that she did that, she had to do that, and now she is here with us. If only for the time being.” | Natalya Ivanova was waiting for her daughter, Olga, who has lived in Syria for the last 13 years. “What could she do? She took her daughter and she left, even though her husband had to stay behind,” she said. “And we are happy that she did that, she had to do that, and now she is here with us. If only for the time being.” |
| Nina Sergeyeva, who until recently led an organization of Russian expatriates from her home in Latakia, Syria, said that judging from Tuesday’s operation, the number of Russians seeking to leave Syria was insignificant. There is no talk of evacuation in Latakia, she said. | Nina Sergeyeva, who until recently led an organization of Russian expatriates from her home in Latakia, Syria, said that judging from Tuesday’s operation, the number of Russians seeking to leave Syria was insignificant. There is no talk of evacuation in Latakia, she said. |
| “Of course it is a kind of sign, a sign that it is really scary and dangerous there, that what’s going on there is a civil war,” said Ms. Sergeyeva, who is currently in Russia. “It’s a sign that things are getting fanned up. There are so many ships in the Mediterranean Sea, and it’s such a dead-end situation Syria — there is no political dialogue — that it is necessary to figure out the ways to get Russians out.” | “Of course it is a kind of sign, a sign that it is really scary and dangerous there, that what’s going on there is a civil war,” said Ms. Sergeyeva, who is currently in Russia. “It’s a sign that things are getting fanned up. There are so many ships in the Mediterranean Sea, and it’s such a dead-end situation Syria — there is no political dialogue — that it is necessary to figure out the ways to get Russians out.” |
| Russian women who have remained in Syria up until this point have compelling reasons to stay, she said, but a formal evacuation announcement would have a powerful impact. If that happens, she said, “Russian women will understand that this is the last airplane which will take them home for free, with their children.” | Russian women who have remained in Syria up until this point have compelling reasons to stay, she said, but a formal evacuation announcement would have a powerful impact. If that happens, she said, “Russian women will understand that this is the last airplane which will take them home for free, with their children.” |
| The sea route is secure, but evacuations from Damascus are likely to become increasingly difficult as fighting around the airport worsens, and there is a danger that rebels may target vehicles on the overland route to the Lebanese border. Security officials told the Kommersant newspaper last month that evacuating Russian diplomats from Damascus might involve the same unit of armed foreign intelligence officers that evacuated Russians from Baghdad in 2003. | The sea route is secure, but evacuations from Damascus are likely to become increasingly difficult as fighting around the airport worsens, and there is a danger that rebels may target vehicles on the overland route to the Lebanese border. Security officials told the Kommersant newspaper last month that evacuating Russian diplomats from Damascus might involve the same unit of armed foreign intelligence officers that evacuated Russians from Baghdad in 2003. |
| The newspaper quoted an intelligence source as saying that the officers were “ready for a transfer to Damascus; however, the order from above has not been given.” Last week, Russia announced that it was closing its consulate in Aleppo, Syria, in the wake of a double bombing that killed 82 people. | The newspaper quoted an intelligence source as saying that the officers were “ready for a transfer to Damascus; however, the order from above has not been given.” Last week, Russia announced that it was closing its consulate in Aleppo, Syria, in the wake of a double bombing that killed 82 people. |
| Yelena Suponina, a Moscow political analyst specializing in the Middle East, saw the departures on Tuesday as the beginning of Russia’s decision to carry out plans that officials laid out last summer. It was at that time, she said, that Russian officials “started to understand that the situation around civil war in Syria would continue and that the Syrian authorities would not find it easy to return stability. This understanding did not come now; it came some time ago.” | Yelena Suponina, a Moscow political analyst specializing in the Middle East, saw the departures on Tuesday as the beginning of Russia’s decision to carry out plans that officials laid out last summer. It was at that time, she said, that Russian officials “started to understand that the situation around civil war in Syria would continue and that the Syrian authorities would not find it easy to return stability. This understanding did not come now; it came some time ago.” |
| She said evacuations had begun because Russians in Syria were demanding passage out. “This isn’t about politics,” she said. “The worse the situation becomes, the more people will want to leave.” | She said evacuations had begun because Russians in Syria were demanding passage out. “This isn’t about politics,” she said. “The worse the situation becomes, the more people will want to leave.” |
Ellen Barry reported from Moscow, and Hania Mourtada from Beirut, Lebanon. Andrew Roth contributed reporting from Moscow, and Neil MacFarquhar from the United Nations. | Ellen Barry reported from Moscow, and Hania Mourtada from Beirut, Lebanon. Andrew Roth contributed reporting from Moscow, and Neil MacFarquhar from the United Nations. |