MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Russia will help its nationals who want to leave Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters.
"Whoever wants to, of course, we will help to leave," the deputy minister said, answering the relevant TASS question. - But this requires agreements here directly with local people who control or should control security issues."
"Of course, we will help people leave if they want," said the diplomat, who also serves as Russian president's special envoy for the Middle East and Africa. "But that requires agreements there directly with the locals that are in charge, or should be in charge of security issues."
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier said the safety of Russian citizens in Syria is an absolute priority for Russia.
Syria’s armed opposition units started a major offensive on government troops in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates on November 27. By the evening of December 7, they seized several large cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered Damascus while government troops withdrew from the city. Bashar Assad resigned as president and left the country, giving orders to transfer power peacefully.