More than 7,000 Russians have turned to diplomats in the UAE for help.

The number of applications to the diplomatic missions of Russians who are in the Middle East is growing, additional measures have been taken to maintain communication. This was stated on March 2 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, answering a question from Izvestia.

"The number of new requests is only growing, and therefore three additional telephones have been opened to contact citizens. The staff of the Consulate General have also been transferred to a round—the-clock operation," she said in her response to the corresponding question from the editorial staff.

Zakharova explained that by the end of the day on March 1, about 1.4 thousand people had applied to the Russian Embassy in the UAE, and more than 6 thousand citizens had applied to the Consulate General in Dubai. Three additional telephones are available for communication with them. Employees of diplomatic missions have been transferred to a round-the-clock operation mode.

According to Zakharova, the Embassy in Iran received more than 50 appeals, and Russians were helped to evacuate to Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkmenistan. In Israel, the hotline has received more than 300 calls since February 28. In Qatar, Russian diplomats processed about 250 appeals. At least 800 Russians, including 150 players of the children's football team, are awaiting their departure there.

The diplomats also received messages from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The Russian Foreign Ministry gave detailed instructions to all the citizens who applied.

Zakharova urged Russians to remain calm, follow the instructions of local authorities and stay in safe places.

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The airports of Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, have suspended their operations indefinitely due to the escalation of the conflict between Israel, the United States and Iran. Because of this, thousands of Russians remained abroad, in particular, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, on March 2, the Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi sent the first plane since the beginning of the day. Later, check-in for 10 flights began at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. Relatives of Russians who cannot fly out of there told Izvestia that they have been waiting for their loved ones to return for the second day.

On March 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a telephone conversation for helping Russians who were unable to leave the Emirates due to the strikes on Iran. State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova said that the main issue for the Russian Federation is the safety of its own citizens who are trapped in the Middle East.

The head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Dmitry Yadrov, said that the agency would consider the possibility of imposing restrictions on the sale of air tickets to the Middle East. He said that about 23 thousand Russian citizens are in the countries of the region. The first flight from Abu Dhabi has already taken off, and another one is scheduled for tomorrow. The UAE authorities have opened Dubai International and Al Maktoum airports with a limited number of slots.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.