Consulate General: Russians among the hostages seized in Sydney not – Russian newspaper

Citizens of the Russian Federation is not among trapped in Sydney cafe hostages, said the Russian Consulate General.

“For the information that we have, our citizens hostage there,” – leads RIA Novosti words konsula- Adviser to the Russian Consulate General in Sydney Yuri Kovalko.

“Now, negotiations began with people who hold other people, and probably in the near future will be a new information”, – he added.

“The zone is cleared, cordoned off by heavily armed police. In all likelihood, the black flag belongs to the Syrian rebels, and, probably, it is connected somehow with the participation of Australia in operations in the Middle East, but this information has not been confirmed,” – said the representative of the consulate.

Earlier it was reported that five hostages managed to escape from the building of a cafe in the heart of Sydney, where an unknown for several hours keeps a few dozen people.