The transitional government of Syria has told Russia it is no longer welcomed in the country after long time President Bashar al-Assad whom they backed was chased out of Damascus.
Assad fled to Moscow after rapidly advancing rebels overran Damascus on December 7, while Russia scrambled to protect its military assets in Syria. On Tuesday a significant number of Russian military vehicles were observed leaving the western Syrian city of Latakia. They were en route to Tartus, where Russia maintains a naval base.
This marks the third instance in a week of Moscow relocating or withdrawing its military resources in the region.
A representative of the Syrian government Obeida Arnaout stated: “I think that Russia should reconsider its presence on Syrian territory as well as its interests. Their interests were linked to the criminal Assad Regime,” he said.
“They can reconsider and take the initiatives to reach out to the new administration to show that they have no animosity with the Syrian people, and that the era of Assad regime is finally over.”
Meanwhile according to Financial Times report deposed President Assad airlift $250m in cash from the country to Moscow between
2018 and 2019.
From March 2018 to September 2019, more than 20 flights reportedly arrived at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport carrying a declared total of over $250 million. The cash shipments, consisting of $100 bills and 500 euro notes, weighed nearly two metric tons.
The money was deposited into two sanctioned banks, the Russian Financial Corporation Bank (RFK) and TsMR Bank, according to FT. RFK, an arm of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, was sanctioned by the United States in 2024 for foreign currency transfers and sanctions evasion on behalf of the Syrian regime.
