Bashar Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus

Bashar al-Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus — Then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with his wife, Asma Assad, in Moscow, Russia, on January 27, 2005. Photo: Creative Commons/Wikimedia.

MOSCOW,— Syria’s former president, Bashar al-Assad, and his family have arrived in Moscow after being granted asylum by Russia on humanitarian grounds, according to a Kremlin source speaking to Russian news agencies on Sunday.

The move follows a dramatic shift in power in Syria, as Islamist rebel forces entered Damascus unopposed, effectively ending Assad’s nearly six-decade rule.

The Russian Foreign Ministry had previously confirmed that Assad had left Syria, stating that he had ordered a peaceful transfer of power after the sudden advance of opposition forces into the Syrian capital.

This marked a significant turning point in the ongoing Syrian conflict, which has seen Moscow’s unwavering support for Assad throughout the civil war.

According to the Kremlin source, Assad and his family’s arrival in Moscow was part of a broader arrangement to ensure the safety of Russian military bases in Syria.

The source also emphasized that Russia remains committed to finding a political solution to the crisis, suggesting that future negotiations should take place under the United Nations’ supervision.

In a separate statement, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, confirmed the news on his Telegram channel, stating, “Breaking news! Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow. Russia does not abandon its friends in difficult times.”

While opposition groups celebrated the fall of Assad’s regime, Syrian rebel leaders have reportedly promised to safeguard Russian military installations in Syria, including the strategic Hmeimim airbase in Latakia province and the naval facility at Tartous on the Mediterranean coast.

The latter serves as Russia’s sole repair and replenishment hub in the region, making it a key asset for Moscow’s military operations.

However, some Russian military bloggers expressed concerns over the security of these bases. The influential blogger “Rybar,” known for his close ties to the Russian Ministry of Defense, warned that the situation around these bases was “extremely tense.”

He also proposed that the Russian forces stationed at the bases had refrained from defending their positions, likely due to the absence of direct commands from Moscow.

This uncertainty highlights the fragility of Russia’s military presence in the Middle East. Losing control of Tartous, in particular, would significantly undermine Moscow’s ability to project power in the region and across parts of Africa, according to Western analysts.

(With files from Reuters)