Thousands of Russian citizens remain in Israel, after Moscow announced that it would be closing its borders to all foreign travel beginning on Monday, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Russian Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov called the situation “very unpleasant,” explaining that anyone in Israel on an organized tour has already left, but that many people who came to Israel privately, such as on a family visit, remain and have reached out to him to find a way home.
“We have been receiving many phone calls to the embassy and consular section from Russian citizens who want to leave Israel. We are taking information from them and trying to help them leave Israel if they want to do so,” Viktorov said.
The Israeli Tourism Ministry estimates 5,000 Russian citizens remain in Israel, Viktorov said. Russia and Israel do not have a dual citizenship agreement.
Viktorov said his embassy is in contact with airlines flying between Russia and Israel to try to help these people.
“We are doing our utmost to help those who need to come back to Russia,” he said.
Meanwhile, Israel has agreed to extend the duration of stay for Russian citizens in Israel. The countries have a visa-free agreement, which only allows Russians to be in Israel for three months out of every half-year.
Viktorov hoped to facilitate a video conference between Israeli and Russian health ministries.
“I fully support this idea because of the experience gained by Israeli and Russian medical doctors. It will be mutually beneficial,” he said.
The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Russia went up to seven on Saturday, Radio Free Europe reported. The total number of known infections in Russia was 1,265, with 49 recovered. About seventy percent of the infections were in Moscow, where shopping centers, restaurants and large parks were closed for a week beginning on Saturday.
An official in Russian President Vladimir Putin's cabinet tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, the state-run TASS agency reported, but the Kremlin said he had not had direct contact with Putin.
Viktorov said that Russia is “continuing to take measures to prevent the spread of the activities. The Russia President is involved.”
“We are aware of the [pandemic’s] dynamic and are taking additional measures to increase hospital capacities and testing,” he said.
Russia has also introduced quarantine measures for people age 65 and over, as well as people who arrived from abroad, which means that about a million citizens were placed in self-quarantine in the past two weeks, Viktorov said.
France, which has about half the population of Russia, has 40 times as many people infected. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin questioned the Russian government's official data, saying that there was not enough testing, the Financial Times reported last week.
Viktorov did not comment on Sobyanin’s specific comment, but said “every country is trying to increase its abilities and [administer] as many tests as possible.”
The ambassador also emphasized aid that Russia has sent to Italy to help combat the coronavirus.
“We sent 76 planes from the Russian Air and Space Forces to Italy, eight mobile brigades of doctares and 100 military virologists and epidemiologists” he said. “We are sure Russian personnel will not only help Italian citizens. We will share our experience.”
Russian has also provided aid to Venezuela, Viktorov said, and plans to help Egypt and Serbia at their request.
“There is speculation that Russia is seeking political benefits but we cannot accept that,” the ambassador said. “This is for the friendly Italian people not less not more.”
As Russia is under sanctions from the US and EU due to its presence in Crimea, Viktorov added: “We call to lift all unilaterally imposed sanctions against some countries to promote some political goals.”
Viktorov said that Russia also supports the call from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who called for all hostilities to stop around the world to enable global cooperation to fight the pandemic.
“I would like to underline that this is the time for the international community to be united and take coordinated efforts to fight this challenge…We all have our common goal on this planet,” he said.