According to the Telegram channel, Assad is not planning to flee Syria

According to the Telegram channel, Assad is not planning to flee Syria

The unforeseen departure of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from his country was announced on Monday via the Syrian presidency's Telegram channel. The statement, purportedly from Assad, suggests that he traveled to the Russian air base in Hmeimim on the morning of December 8, 2024, after being asked by Russia to evacuate the base when it came under fire.

Asylum in Russia

It remains unclear whether Assad actually has control of the Telegram account. If the statement is authentic, it would be the first time he has spoken publicly about the events since his regime collapsed this month. The message reads: "My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it happen in the final hours of the fighting, as some claim. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus and fulfilled my duties until the early hours of December 8, 2024."

The situation in Hmeimim

That Assad learned after his arrival at the Hmeimim air base that “the last military positions had fallen” is also mentioned in the statement. "With no realistic possibility of leaving the base, Moscow asked the base command to organize an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of December 8. This happened one day after the fall of Damascus, after the collapse of the last military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions," the statement continued.

Sticking to fighting

Assad further added: "At no time during these events did I think of resigning or seeking protection, nor was such a suggestion made by any person or party. The only way was to continue the fight against terrorism." He also noted that his role as president had become "meaningless" after the country was taken over by "terrorists."

The liberation of Damascus

On the morning of December 8, Syrian rebels declared the capital Damascus “liberated” after entering the city with minimal resistance from regime forces. Assad and his family reached Moscow after being granted asylum on “humanitarian grounds,” a Russian official told CNN on the evening of December 8.

Russia's interests in Syria

The Kremlin said last Wednesday that the security of Russia's military bases and diplomatic missions in Syria is "of the utmost importance." It was noted that Moscow had maintained contact with the new leadership in Damascus. “We need to maintain contact with those who control the situation on the ground because, as I mentioned, we have facilities and personnel there,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a regular news conference.

Peskov declined to provide details about how many Russian soldiers are in Syria or the status of potential evacuations.