Photo credit: kavkaz-uzel.eu
Two hundred and fifty-seven Russian citizens went home on Wednesday, April 29, according to RIA Novosti. They boarded an airplane that flew from New York to Moscow. The export flight is operated by Aeroflot Airlines. The consulate general noted that among the passengers there were residents of Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Ivanov, Yaroslavl, Tula, Tver and other regions.
According to the ambassador of the Russian Federation in the United States, Anatoly Antonov, it was quite difficult to organize the flight. Most of the passengers needed to fly home for humanitarian reasons. There were older people who previously had a surgery. They were joined by children who were stuck in the United States, taking part in "some training programs."
The diplomat noted that the number of Russians who want to leave the United States reaches one and a half thousand.
The children who flew to Russia thanked compatriots from the public organization Russian Youth of America for their assistance. Activists of the organization helped the children get to the airport on time and board the plane. According to the president of the association Igor Kochan, 19 Russian schoolchildren are returning home on this flight.
The teenagers said they were looking forward to meeting with relatives in Russia. They added that they had traveled to the United States in order to learn English.
Nevertheless, the issue with schoolchildren is still ongoing. It is yet to be determined how many children remain in the US. Once the contact is established, nobody is going to force them to leave, the head of the Russian foreign policy office pointed out. Parents themselves must decide whether they want to leave their children in the United States.
Russkiy Mir
