Disgraced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued his first public statement from Moscow on December 16, detailing the circumstances of his departure from Syria and rejecting claims he fled Damascus during the final battle for the capital, according to a letter seen by IntelliNews.

In a lengthy statement, Assad said he had remained in Damascus until the early hours of December 8 before moving to Latakia to oversee combat operations from the Khmeimim airbase alongside his Russian allies. The base subsequently came under intense drone attacks, leading to his evacuation to Moscow that evening, he claimed.

According to flight data on December 8, verified by IntelliNews, at least two planes, one a private jet and a second Cham Wings commercial airliner, departed from Damascus for Abu Dhabi, which casts doubt on Assad's comments. Assad was believed to be in the initial flight to Abu Dhabi before changing planes. The UAE has not commented on those flights.  

"My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed," Assad said in the statement, addressing what he termed "misinformation" about his exit.

The former Syrian leader provided a detailed timeline of his final days in power, stating he stayed in Damascus until terrorist forces had infiltrated the city.

He described how, upon reaching the Khmeimim airbase, he found Syrian forces had "completely withdrawn from all battle lines" and "the last army positions had fallen."

Assad strongly denied considering resignation or seeking refuge during the crisis. "At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party," he insisted.

The statement marks Assad's first public comments since arriving in Moscow on December 8, following the collapse of his government amid a rapid advance by opposition forces. Russian authorities confirmed granting him asylum on humanitarian grounds.

In his statement, Assad portrayed himself as a steadfast leader who "refused to barter the salvation of his nation for personal gain."

He drew parallels between his current situation and his past stance during the Syrian civil war, stating he had "remained with his family alongside his people" during previous crises.

The former president concluded his statement with a pointed characterisation of the current situation in Syria, referring to it as a "state fallen into the hands of terrorism."

He said he hoped that "Syria will once again be free and independent" while maintaining his position that the opposition consists of "terrorist forces."

Moscow has not indicated how long it intends to host the former Syrian president, who ruled Syria for 24 years following his father's three-decade reign.