25.02.2011
Ferry Saint Stephen 2 which is supposed to evacuate Russians from Libya sailed from Italian port Bari on Friday, reports Interfax referring to representatives of EMERCOM press service.
Departure of the ferry capable to carry about 1,000 passengers was postponed due to severe gale in the Mediterranean, reported EMERCOM.
The ferry is expected to arrive at Libyan port Sirt in the morning of Feb 27 to take group of Russian citizens. The ship will also call at Ras Lanuf and take Russians from there. Afterwards, the ferry will head for Turkey, and passengers will continue the homeward trip by EMERCOM aircrafts. Reportedly, there are 1,083 persons in Sirt and Ras Lanuf which must be evacuated to Russia.
If the ferry for some reasons could not take Russians on board, they can be transported from Ras-Lanuf to Sirt by automobiles. Then EMERCOM aircrafts would take them to Russia.
On Thursday, Feb 24 two Russian EMERCOM transport aircrafts
Il-76 were dispatched to Sirt in order to evacuate 118 Russians from Libya. Earlier on, four aircrafts took 339 Russians and brought them home.
Libyan opposition conducts protest actions since Feb 16; protesters demand dismissal of Muammar Gaddafi who has been irremovably governing the country since 1969. Although demonstrations were crackdowned, opposition managed to take great part of the country under control. Up to 2,000 people died as a result of multi-day skirmishes between supporters and opponents of Gaddafi's regime.
