MOSCOW, July 1. /TASS/. Russian tour operators suffered damage worth 300 million rubles ($3.8 mln) due to the conflict on the Middle East, Executive Director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) Maya Lomidze told a news conference at TASS.
"According to preliminary estimates, we estimate the total damage to be up to 300 million rubles at the moment. This applies to all tour operators working in the Middle East and in the countries of South and partially Southeast Asia," she said.
She also reported that from June 13 to 22, 70 to 80 flights of both domestic and foreign airlines were cancelled or postponed.
"It is difficult to derive this figure, because airlines, after they announced the cancellation of flights, nevertheless carried out evacuation flights, brought tourists who were there. Some airlines, having cancelled flights, brought people and partially took passengers from here. This figure was always fluid," she explained.
Overnight into June 13, Israel kicked off Operation Rising Lion aimed against Iran’s nuclear program. Less than 24 hours later, Iran launched a retaliatory attack. In the following days, Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged strikes again.
The United States entered the conflict nine days after its escalation: on the night of June 22, American forces attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran.
On the evening of June 23, Tehran launched a missile attack on the largest American air base in the Middle East, Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. According to US authorities, there were no casualties and no significant damage was caused. Later, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a complete ceasefire. The ceasefire came into effect on June 24.