Russia is preparing for a potential mission to rescue its own citizens, and those of former Soviet states, from war-torn Gaza as Israeli forces press ahead with a campaign of airstrikes aimed at Palestinian militants.
In an executive order issued on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin instructed the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with its top intelligence agency, the SVR, and emergency response officials to lay the groundwork for an evacuation of any citizens or personnel trapped by the fighting. The move, which the president described as a response to a “sharp deterioration in the situation in Gaza,” would also offer a potential lifeline to passport holders from the Commonwealth of Independent States, comprised of nine of the USSR’s ex-republics.
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