NUR-SULTAN, January 8. /TASS/. Aircraft of the Russian Ministry of Defense will operate flights from Almaty to transport Russians to their homeland, the Russian Embassy in Kazakhstan said on Facebook.

"Taking into account the suspension of regular passenger flights through Almaty between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation on January 9, 2022, from 17:00 to 18:00 from the international airport of this city on the routes Almaty - Ivanovo and Almaty - Orenburg, military transport aviation of the Ministry of Defense will operate flights to transport Russians to their homeland," the statement said.

The aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered 25 Russians who were in Kazakhstan on a tourist visa from the Zhetigen airfield in Almaty to Moscow, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Saturday.

"A military transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered from the Zhetigen airfield (Republic of Kazakhstan) to Moscow 25 Russian citizens from Almaty, who were in the country as tourists," the military department said.

The department clarified that Russian tourists appealed to the leadership of the Russian contingent of the peacekeeping forces with a request to return them to Russia.