NEW YORK, May 24. /TASS/: Russian citizens, who had earlier expressed their intention to return to their home country from the United States amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, departed from New York on Saturday aboard a special Aeroflot flight, JFK Airport’s said on its online list of departures.
The plane is expected to land at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport is 12:09 Moscow time on Sunday.
Russia’s US Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said the plane had 12 schoolchildren and 21 students on board.
A spokesperson for the Russian Youth of America organization, which assisted Russians stranded in the United States amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, said on Saturday that the plane has more than 370 people on board, including 12 babies and 11-12 schoolchildren.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zakharova said last month that the ministry would draw conclusions from the US authorities’ insufficient assistance in tracking down Russian school children. According to her earlier statements, high school students had gone to the United States from Russia under various educational and travel programs only to find problems with getting back home amid the pandemic. US officials have preferred to distance themselves from this problem and ignored messages from the Russian Embassy, Zakharova said.
Russia’s US Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said on April 3 that over 2,000 Russians informed diplomats about their intention to return to their home country. Subsequently, Russia’s flagship air carrier Aeroflot organized special flights to New York on April 7, 14, 28 and May 14, and from Los Angeles on May 4.
On March 18, Russia shut down its borders for all foreigners to curb the spread of coronavirus. Furthermore, international passenger air travel was fully suspended on March 27. In light of these developments, Russian citizens who found themselves stuck abroad and foreigners staying in Russia can return home by specially organized flights.
