Toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's evacuation to Russia was preceded by a collapse of the army and a paralysis of state institutions, according to a statement attributed to al-Assad, published on the website of the former Syrian presidency.
"With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base's command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday, 8th December. This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions," the attributed statement reads.
According to the attributed statement, al-Assad underscored that he did not abandon his people and the army, adding that he was evacuated from Khmeimim following the instructions from Russia to base command.