Russian ambassador says no information on Russians injured in southern Lebanon

There was no information about any Russians injured as a result of the strikes of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Lebanon. This was stated by Russian Ambassador to Beirut Alexander Rudakov on September 23.

"There is no such data at the moment. Around the clock we are in contact with local law enforcement agencies and emergency services. We are closely monitoring the situation," he told RIA Novosti.

Rudakov urged all Russian citizens to be extremely careful in connection with the escalation of the conflict in southern Lebanon. Also, the head of the diplomatic mission reminded that all Russians wishing to leave Lebanon now, while commercial flights are being carried out.

"We strongly recommend our compatriots to follow the instructions of local authorities to ensure their own security measures. At the same time, we remind you that the airport is still functioning in Lebanon. Everyone has the opportunity to leave the country," Rudakov said.

Winged phase: Hezbollah announces new phase of fight against Israel

How the nature of the confrontation between the Lebanese movement and the IDF will change

Earlier in the day, the IDF launched massive strikes on Hezbollah facilities in Lebanon. One of them was struck in Beirut. The Israeli General Staff indicated that the country was conducting a pre-emptive operation to destroy the infrastructure of the Shiite organization.

At the same time it was reported that more than 350 people were killed in Lebanon on September 23 as a result of Israeli army strikes on the southern territories of the country. According to the data, the victims were 356 people, including 24 children and 42 women. 1,246 people were wounded.

Before that, on September 17 and 18, two waves of explosions of pagers and other communication devices of Hezbollah members took place in Lebanon. It was reported that at least 37 people were killed then and about 3 thousand were injured. The country's authorities and Hezbollah representatives blamed Israel for the incident.

Soon in Tel Aviv announced the transfer of forces to the northern front. The IDF began strikes on Hezbollah facilities in Lebanon, and they continued in the following days. The movement itself announced a new phase of confrontation with Israel and also launched a number of retaliatory rocket attacks. Because of this, the Israeli authorities imposed a special state of affairs first in the north of the country and then throughout its entire territory.

The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian radical movement Hamas subjected the territory of Israel to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip, invaded the border areas in the south of the country and seized hostages. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.