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Coronavirus pandemic

Russian embassy taking measures to help Russian citizens at New York airport — ambassador

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that "due to restrictions introduced by Russia on the number of returning compatriots (500 per day), Aeroflot flights for the next few days have been cancelled"

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

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NEW YORK, March 31. /TASS/. The Russian Embassy in the United States is doing everything possible to provide assistance to Russian citizens who remain at an airport in New York after Russia introduced restrictions on the return of compatriots from abroad, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said in a statement released on Tuesday.

"The embassy knows about the difficult situation at JFK with transporting Russian citizens from New York to Moscow," Antonov said. "Due to restrictions introduced by Russia on the number of returning compatriots (500 per day), Aeroflot flights for the next few days have been cancelled," he added.

"The embassy has set up hotlines to stay in touch with Russian citizens who want to return home," the ambassador noted. "The lists of people have been sent to Moscow so that they are considered when future evacuation of citizens is planned. We remain in regular contact with them. Together with Aeroflot, the embassy organized on March 30 accommodations in hotels for citizens who found themselves in a difficult situation at the New York airport. We are taking all necessary measures to resolve this," he said.

"Mutual support, solidarity, restraint, patience are especially important now," Antonov said. "We call for ignoring the possible attempts to artificially fan tensions and to direct discontent at Aeroflot staff and Russian diplomats. We call for remaining calm, staying in temporary accommodations if possible until receiving information from the embassy and Aeroflot about flying to Russia," he concluded.

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