Assad's last stand: Dramatic escape from war‑torn Syria
An official statement was published on the Telegram channel belonging to the former Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad. The dictator describes the final hours of his stay in Syria, claiming that while he was at the Russian military base in Hmeimim, there was a "massive drone attack" and "Moscow demanded his evacuation to Russia."
The statement, titled "Statement by President Bashar al-Assad on the Circumstances Leading to his Departure from Syria," was also published on Assad's Facebook channel. The text notes that it was written in Moscow.
Assad publishes statement: How he escaped Syria
According to Assad's account, he left Damascus on the morning of 8th December, a few hours after the rebel attack on the city. In agreement with Russia, he moved to the coastal Russian military base in the Latakia province in the west of the country, whereas he emphasised that he planned to continue the fight.
However, on the same day, drones attacked the base, and — he claims — the Russian side decided to evacuate him to Russia during the night.
"Upon arrival at the Khmeimim air base that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen. As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes. With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base's command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia. This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all state institutions," wrote the dictator.
Bloody regime falls: The end of the Assad clan
The ousted dictator claims: "at no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught," he added.
He emphasised that when he left Syria, its army was "on its last legs," and all government institutions had been paralysed.
The Financial Times reported earlier on Monday that, in 2018-2019, Assad sent two metric tonnes (approximately 2,000 kilograms) of banknotes in 500 euro and 100 dollar denominations to Moscow, with a total estimated value of 250 million dollars. The British newspaper noted that the cash shipments coincided with Damascus authorities' reliance on Kremlin military support and the Assad family's purchase of luxury real estate in Moscow.
Assad's escape from Syria sealed the end of the Assad clan's rule: Bashar al-Assad ruled the country for 24 years, and before him, his father, Hafiz, had been in power for nearly three decades.
