The press service of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that a special mission flight carrying Russian nationals and their family members who had been evacuated from the Gaza Strip departed Cairo for Moscow. The update, provided by TASS, confirmed that the flight was part of a coordinated humanitarian operation and underscored the ongoing airlift efforts to relocate civilians out of a volatile zone in the Palestinian-Israeli region.
The ministry’s press office noted that an operational group stationed in Egypt continues to coordinate the reception of people who crossed the Rafah border crossing. Today’s flight marked the 11th aeromedical-evacuation mission undertaken by the emergencies service as part of the broader humanitarian initiative to bring residents and their relatives from the conflict area to safety. The emphasis remained on swift processing, careful safeguarding of minors, and ensuring proper documentation and accountability for each evacuee as they transition between airports and temporary accommodations in Russia.
Earlier, it had been disclosed that a dedicated Russian Emergencies Ministry aircraft had been deployed to handle the evacuation operation from Cairo. According to the ministry, the Il-76 aircraft was planned to transport 68 individuals, including 31 children, on that leg of the mission. The emphasis was on minimizing exposure to risk and providing immediate support upon arrival, including medical assessments, food, shelter, and logistical assistance for families reuniting with their primary households in Russia.
On December 6, Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that 898 Russian citizens and their family members had been evacuated from the Gaza Strip within a month, with continued efforts to expand the reach and speed of the operation. That figure reflected the scale of the organized evacuation at the time and highlighted the ongoing collaboration between foreign ministries, the emergency services, and consular teams to verify identities, secure safe passages, and coordinate onward travel to various regions within Russia. The communications also noted that such coordinated efforts are part of a persistent diplomatic and humanitarian push amid a rapidly evolving crisis in the region.
In related comments, a former Russian official, Dmitry Medvedev, reflected on the broader Middle East situation, mentioning in a public context the possibility of a protracted conflict. The remarks were tied to the broader geopolitical discourse surrounding humanitarian corridors, ceasefire negotiations, and the safety of civilians caught in cross-border hostilities. While such statements underscore the volatility of the regional environment, the focus of the evacuation operation remains on concrete, on-the-ground actions that protect civilians and facilitate orderly departures from danger zones, with ongoing monitoring and adjustment as conditions evolve.