Russia Considers Iraq Evacuation

Russia is considering evacuating more than 500 of its personnel from Iraq after eight of its nationals were abducted in Baghdad.

According to the Interfax news agency a Foreign Ministry source was quoted as saying: "Such a possibility is being considered."


Russia currently has about 500 specialist workers in Iraq, employed in the oil sector.

More follows...
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1131156,00.html

inter structure is Russian and French. well, that`s going to slow things down abit...

Iraq kidnappers hit Russian firm

At least eight engineers working for a Russian energy company have been taken hostage in Iraq - the latest foreigners to be kidnapped there.

The group - said to include five Ukrainians - were seized outside their house in Baghdad, where they had gone to repair power stations.

A senior US commander has called for about 10,000 additional troops to face Shia and Sunni unrest across Iraq.

On Tuesday, US troops arrested an aide to radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr.

The arrest of another aide to Mr Sadr sparked off the current Shia unrest.
..more..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3620839.stm

Also this:
Russia Seeks Release of Workers Abducted in Iraq, End to Combat
April 13 (Bloomberg) -- Russia demanded the release of eight employees of a Russian construction company who were kidnapped in Baghdad yesterday, and called for a political settlement in Iraq to restore the country's independence.
..snip..
Russia Wants Combat Ended

Russia, which opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein, doesn't have any troops in the country.

``Coalition authorities bear responsibility for security in Iraq,'' Russia's Foreign Ministry said in its statement. ``Moscow is convinced that combat operations should be stopped and a settlement initiated with the participation of all Iraqi political factions to restore Iraq's real independence.''
..more..
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aKlHcGgoZHGE&refer=top_world_news

Eight Russian Firm Workers Released in Iraq
Tue Apr 13, 2004 06:11 AM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Eight workers from a Russian engineering firm who were abducted at gunpoint from their villa in Iraq on Monday night have been released, the head of their company said on Tuesday.
"My financial manager called me from Iraq to say that the eight hostages have been freed and are now at home," Interenergoservis general director Alexander Abramov told the Russian news agency Interfax. ...
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=4811544