The decision was made after the cancellation of regular flights to Cuba due to the closing of air space to Russian airlines by a number of countries, including members of the European Union, Canada and the United States.

This situation made it impossible for both Cuban and Russian tourists to return home on schedule, the diplomat told Sputnik news agency.

“At this moment the Consulate and the Embassy are making arrangements with authorities to find alternatives that our citizens can use to return to the country,” she said.

Empresa Cubana de Aeropuertos y Servicios Aeroportuarios S.A (Ecasa) published on Tuesday on its Telegram channel that Nordwind airline, with regular charter flights to Cuba, will transfer Russian citizens and tourists stranded in Cuba.

According to that company, Cuban passengers will be accepted on flights from Russia to Cuba, where Cuban travelers will only be able to leave for Russia after the return of Russian citizens.

According to Juan Carlos Escalona, Cuba’s Tourism Counselor at the Cuban Embassy in Moscow, there are currently around 5,570 Russian tourists in Cuba.

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