In his first statements after being ousted from the presidency of Syria, Bashar al-Assad spoke from Russia, where he sought refuge.

“At no point did I think about giving up or leaving the country despite the incidents,” said the ousted president in a statement published via Telegram, claiming that he “stayed in Syria until the morning of December 8th and only left late in the evening.”

According to the ousted president, his departure took place on the night of December 8th, after the Russian military base Khmeimim in Syria was attacked by drones, following his departure from Damascus that morning, as opposition fighters were closing in.

Assad emphasized that he would not abandon the country or its citizens, something he had never done in the past, and announced that a more detailed account of the events would be provided in a future statement, as, for security reasons, he currently has limited means of communication.