Assad resigns amid turmoil; Kremlin denies involvement
Following the recent events in the capital of Syria, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement. Kremlin diplomats have emphasised that the current Russian units stationed in Syria are not under threat, although they have been put on high alert. The Kremlin has also denied claims that President Bashar al-Assad may be in Russia.
On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Bashar al-Assad had resigned from the presidency and left Syria. This information was reported by the Polish Press Agency, which cited a country that has been supporting the regime in Damascus for years. At the same time, Russian military bases in Syria have been placed on heightened alert.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, Assad, after engaging in discussions with several parties involved in the Syrian conflict, decided to transfer power peacefully. A high-ranking commander was also said to have left the country alongside the president.
After talks with various participants in the Syrian conflict, Assad stepped down from the presidency and left Syria, ordering a peaceful transfer of power – the ministry stated. Russia highlighted that it did not participate in these negotiations but remains in contact with the Syrian opposition.
Russian units in Syria are not threatened
Despite the increased readiness of Russian military bases in Syria, Moscow assures that there is currently no "immediate threat to Russian forces in Syria" of these facilities, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Reuters reports that Assad flew out of Damascus on Sunday in an unknown direction. His fate remains uncertain, and Reuters sources suggest that the plane he may have been on disappeared from radar and might have been shot down.
Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Gazi al-Jalali has stated that since Saturday evening, the whereabouts of Bashar al-Assad and Defence Minister Ali Mahmud Abbas have been unknown. Earlier on Saturday, "The Telegraph" reported that Assad's family had left the country and is residing within the territory of the Russian Federation.
