Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow after receiving asylum from Russia.
A Kremlin source confirmed the development to the Russian state news agency TASS, citing humanitarian considerations as the reason for granting asylum.
“Assad and his family members arrived in Moscow. Russia, based on humanitarian considerations, granted them asylum,” the source stated.
The sudden move follows a dramatic turn of events in Syria. Clashes between Assad’s forces and opposition groups reignited on November 27 near Aleppo.
Within ten days, opposition forces launched a swift offensive, seizing key cities and toppling the capital, Damascus, on Sunday.
The lightning advance, bolstered by defecting military units, marked the end of Assad’s 13-year hold on power during the civil war.
Assad’s departure underscores the fragility of his regime, which had maintained control despite years of conflict and international scrutiny.
Russia’s asylum offer cements its longstanding alliance with Assad, even as Syria’s political future remains uncertain.
The deposed president’s arrival in Moscow symbolizes the close, albeit controversial, ties between the two nations in the region’s turbulent politics.
