Azernews.Az

People's Artist of the Russian Federation and prominent director Fyodor Bondarchuk has expressed deep gratitude to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for the assistance provided in evacuating Russian citizens from Iran amid rising tensions in the region, Azernews reports.

Speaking to CBC during the ongoing evacuation process through Azerbaijan, Bondarchuk said:

“I would like to thank President Ilham Aliyev for the unparalleled assistance in crossing the border between Iran and Azerbaijan. In fact, everyone helped. I must also mention the Russian Embassy and Consulate in Tehran. They accompanied us almost to the border gate.”

He also extended appreciation to the Russian Ministry of Culture for its coordination in facilitating the evacuation.

“There are 90 people in the group, all of them are safe. They are now crossing the border. Some of them will be leaving today, while others will stay in Baku and leave a little later. We are all a little tired,” Bondarchuk added.

The evacuation comes in the aftermath of a sharp escalation in the Middle East. On the morning of June 13, Israel launched military air strikes on Iran, killing several high-ranking officials, including Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, and Khatam al-Anbiya Commander Gholamali Rashid, along with six nuclear scientists.

In response, Iran launched Operation True Promise III, firing more than 150 ballistic missiles and over 100 drones toward multiple targets in Israel, including Tel Aviv. The strikes resulted in civilian casualties and widespread destruction.