Syria’s ousted president Bashar al-Assad and his family have reportedly arrived in Moscow, according to a Kremlin source. This development comes just hours after Islamist-led rebels entered Damascus, prompting Assad’s departure from the country.
The announcement was made as Russia, a key ally of Assad, called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the rapidly changing situation in the war-torn nation.
“Assad and members of his family have arrived in Moscow,” the source confirmed to TASS and RIA Novosti news agencies, adding that “Russia granted them asylum on humanitarian grounds.”
When asked about Assad’s presence in Moscow, a Western official indicated that they believed it to be true and saw no reason to doubt the Kremlin’s claim.
The Kremlin source also mentioned that the rebels who ousted Assad had assured the security of Russian army bases and diplomatic institutions within Syria.
As Assad’s most significant supporter alongside Iran, Russia maintains a naval base in Tartus and a military airfield in Khmeimim. Russian forces have been actively involved in the Syrian conflict since 2015, providing crucial support to Assad’s regime in its fight against opposition forces during the civil war.
“Russia has always advocated for a political solution to the Syrian crisis. Our position is to resume negotiations under the auspices of the UN,” the Kremlin source added.
A representative from Russia at the United Nations announced that Moscow had requested an emergency closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in Syria on Monday afternoon.
“The full impact of these events on Syria and the entire region has yet to be determined,” the official stated on Telegram.
