Assad 'ordered' to hand over power and left Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry claims

Moscow called the collapse of the Assad regime “dramatic events” and said it was following the situation with “extreme concern.”

Russia claims that Assad held talks with the rebels and decided to step down as president. Russia, they say, did not participate in them.

Russia assures that Assad left Syria, “having given instructions to carry out the transfer of power peacefully.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry also claims to be in contact with all Syrian opposition groups. Meanwhile, there is allegedly no security threat to Russian military bases in Syria, but they are “on high alert.”

The overthrow of the Assad regime

About a week and a half ago, fighting broke out in Syria, marking a new stage in the civil war after a nearly four-year pause.

Fighters of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group and the opposition Syrian National Army launched an offensive near the city of Aleppo. They managed to quickly take control of Aleppo and capture a number of other cities.

On Sunday, December 8, the rebels entered Damascus and announced the overthrow of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who had been ruling the country for more than 20 years.

The Syrian rebels did not actually meet much resistance from government forces. It was reported that Russia, Assad's main ally, was planning to send aid, but this did not happen. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia began to withdraw its navy and weapons from Syria.

According to media reports, Assad left Damascus before the rebels seized the city. Reuters admits that Assad could have died in a plane crash, as his plane disappeared from the radars.