Russian news agencies reported on Sunday evening that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow, following the collapse of the Syrian regime after a swift offensive by opposition groups.
According to a Kremlin source, “Assad and his family members have arrived in Moscow, where Russia has granted them asylum on humanitarian grounds.” This development comes in the wake of a rapid advance by opposition forces who managed to take control of the capital Damascus, ending the Assad family’s rule that had lasted for nearly half a century.
Earlier on Sunday, the Syrian opposition announced their entry into Damascus and the overthrow of Assad’s regime. Syrian citizens were seen celebrating in the streets, firing shots into the air in jubilation over the fall of the regime that had ruled the country for decades.
The opposition now faces a significant challenge in unifying a country torn apart by war and divided by multiple armed factions. The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has called for urgent talks in Geneva to facilitate an “organized political transition.”
This sudden development represents a dramatic shift in the course of the Syrian conflict, which has lasted for over a decade, and opens the door to a new, uncertain phase in the history of Syria and the entire region.