Overthrown Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is in Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed on Dec. 10 in an interview with NBC News.
This comes as the first official confirmation of speculations that Assad and his family fled to Moscow following the collapse of the dictator's regime in Syria.
"He is secured, and it shows that Russia acts as required in such an extraordinary situation," Ryabkov said in the interview with NBC News.
Syrian rebels announced on Dec. 8 that they successfully ousted Assad from power following a rapid offensive across the country. The opposition established control over the major cities of Aleppo and Hama before reaching the nation's capital, Damascus.
A key ally of Assad's regime, Moscow was unable to support him because of the "massive damage" the Russian army incurred in Ukraine, U.S President Joe Biden said on Dec. 8.
Russia maintains military bases in Syria, at the moment it is unclear what Assad's ousting means for Russian military activity in the country.
Moscow deployed its troops to Syria in 2015, providing support to the Assad regime against multiple anti-government forces. Damascus has been supportive of the Kremlin during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Russian forces operating in Syria have been accused by the U.N. and other organizations of committing war crimes in the country, including the intentional bombing of hospitals and the usage of "double-tap" attacks, a tactic Russia has repeated in Ukraine.
The ousting of the Assad regime is seen as a strategic blow to Russia after years of backing.
Oleg Sukhov
(Updated: )
