Official announcements from any country's government

Assad Secretly Flees Syria to Moscow Amid Regime Collapse, Deceiving Aides and Family

Dec 16, 2024, 12:38 PM

Bashar al-Assad, the former president of Syria, fled to Moscow as his regime collapsed, according to reports from multiple sources. In the days leading up to his departure, Assad reportedly deceived his aides, military commanders, and even his own family about his intentions. He told his commanders that Russian military support was on its way, urging them to continue resisting, while secretly preparing to flee the country. He even deceived his brother, Maher al-Assad, and his media advisor, whom he asked to prepare a speech while planning his escape. Assad's request for asylum was reportedly denied by the United Arab Emirates. On December 8, 2024, Assad left Damascus without informing his closest associates, transferring hundreds of millions of dollars to Moscow and other capitals before fleeing. After his departure, opposition forces seized Damascus and stormed the presidential palace. On December 16, 2024, Assad released a statement via the Syrian presidency's Telegram channel from Moscow. In the statement, he claimed that he remained in Damascus until the early morning of December 8 and left the country only later that evening. He asserted that he did not plan his departure and had never considered resigning or fleeing. Assad stated that he moved to the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia to continue his work, but with the collapse of the last army positions, Moscow facilitated his evacuation to Russia.