Syrian ambassador to Moscow requests asylum in Russia, TASS reports
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Syria's ambassador to Moscow has requested asylum in Russia, state news agency TASS reported on Monday, citing a source.
The Russian news outlet provided no further details on the reported request by Bashar Jaafari, who was appointed ambassador to Russia in 2022 after 15 years as Syria's permanent representative to the United Nations.
Reuters was not able to immediately contact Jaafari, 69. Syria's embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin granted asylum to former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad when he fled to Moscow with his family after being toppled by a lightning rebel offensive at the end of last year.
Syria's foreign ministry last week recalled Jaafari and Syria's ambassador to Saudi Arabia to Damascus, state media reported, saying the move was part of a reorganization of the diplomatic corps after Assad's fall.
Jaafari had been one of the most well-known international representatives of the former regime. He had been vocal in his defence of the Syrian government during the country's 14-year civil war, including his denial it had carried out chemical weapons attacks.
Moscow has supported Damascus since the early days of the Cold War, recognising its independence in 1944 as Syria sought to throw off French colonial rule.
Syria is also home to two important Russian military bases - the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia province and a naval facility at Tartous on the coast. Russia is seeking to retain control of these as it builds ties with the country's new leadership.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
44 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Russian drone and missile attacks kill 1 and wound 8 in Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Waves of Russian drone and missile attacks killed one person and wounded at least eight others in two major Ukrainian cities in the early morning hours on Tuesday, Ukraine officials said. One person was killed and four injured in the southern port city of Odesa said regional governor Oleh Kiper. A maternity hospital and residential buildings in the center of the city were also damaged in the attack. Four people were injured in Ukraine's capital, said Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko. Associated Press journalists heard explosions, including the buzzing of drones, in different parts of the city for hours early Tuesday. The fresh wave of Russian attacks came hours after Moscow launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment in the three-year war. Ukrainian and Western officials have been anticipating a Russian response to Ukraine's audacious June 1 drone attack on distant Russian air bases. Plumes of smoke were visible in Kyiv as air defense forces worked to shoot down drones and missiles on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Ukrainian residents took shelter and slept in metro stations during the hours-long attack. Nina Nosivets, 32, and her 8-month-old son Levko were among them. 'I just try not to think about all this, silently curled up like a mouse, wait until it all passes, the attacks. Distract the child somehow because its probably the hardest thing for him to bear,' she said. Krystyna Semak, a 37-year-old Kyiv resident, said the explosions frightened her and she ran to the metro at 2 a.m. with her rug. Russia has been launching a record-breaking number of drones and missiles targeting Ukraine while the two countries continue to swap prisoners of war, the only tangible outcome of recent direct peace talks held in Istanbul. A ceasefire, long sought by Kyiv, remains elusive. In Kyiv, fires broke out in at least four districts after debris from shot down drones fell on the roofs of residential buildings and warehouses, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. Vasyl Pesenko, 25, stood in his kitchen, damaged in the attack. 'I was lying in bed, as always hoping that these Shaheds (drones) would fly past me, and I heard that Shahed (that hit the house),' he said. 'I thought that it would fly away but it flew closer and closer and everything blew away.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Russian drone and missile attacks kill 1 and wound 8 in Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Waves of Russian drone and missile attacks killed one person and wounded at least eight others in two major Ukrainian cities in the early morning hours on Tuesday, Ukraine officials said. One person was killed and four injured in the southern port city of Odesa said regional governor Oleh Kiper. A maternity hospital and residential buildings in the center of the city were also damaged in the attack. Four people were injured in Ukraine's capital, said Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko. Associated Press journalists heard explosions, including the buzzing of drones, in different parts of the city for hours early Tuesday. The fresh wave of Russian attacks came hours after Moscow launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment in the three-year war. Ukrainian and Western officials have been anticipating a Russian response to Ukraine's audacious June 1 drone attack on distant Russian air bases. Plumes of smoke were visible in Kyiv as air defense forces worked to shoot down drones and missiles on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Ukrainian residents took shelter and slept in metro stations during the hours-long attack. Nina Nosivets, 32, and her 8-month-old son Levko were among them. 'I just try not to think about all this, silently curled up like a mouse, wait until it all passes, the attacks. Distract the child somehow because its probably the hardest thing for him to bear," she said. Krystyna Semak, a 37-year-old Kyiv resident, said the explosions frightened her and she ran to the metro at 2 a.m. with her rug. Russia has been launching a record-breaking number of drones and missiles targeting Ukraine while the two countries continue to swap prisoners of war, the only tangible outcome of recent direct peace talks held in Istanbul. A ceasefire, long sought by Kyiv, remains elusive. In Kyiv, fires broke out in at least four districts after debris from shot down drones fell on the roofs of residential buildings and warehouses, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. Vasyl Pesenko, 25, stood in his kitchen, damaged in the attack. 'I was lying in bed, as always hoping that these Shaheds (drones) would fly past me, and I heard that Shahed (that hit the house),' he said. 'I thought that it would fly away but it flew closer and closer and everything blew away.'
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Russian drone and missile attacks kill 1 and wound 8 in Ukraine
The fresh wave of Russian attacks came hours after Moscow launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment in the three-year war. Ukrainian and Western officials have been anticipating a Russian response to Ukraine's audacious June 1 drone attack on distant Russian air bases. Plumes of smoke were visible in Kyiv as air defense forces worked to shoot down drones and missiles on Tuesday morning. Advertisement Meanwhile, Ukrainian residents took shelter and slept in metro stations during the hours-long attack. Nina Nosivets, 32, and her 8-month-old son Levko were among them. 'I just try not to think about all this, silently curled up like a mouse, wait until it all passes, the attacks. Distract the child somehow because its probably the hardest thing for him to bear,' she said. Krystyna Semak, a 37-year-old Kyiv resident, said the explosions frightened her and she ran to the metro at 2 a.m. with her rug. Russia has been launching a record-breaking number of drones and missiles targeting Ukraine while the two countries continue to swap prisoners of war, the only tangible outcome of recent direct peace talks held in Istanbul. A ceasefire, long sought by Kyiv, remains elusive. Advertisement In Kyiv, fires broke out in at least four districts after debris from shot down drones fell on the roofs of residential buildings and warehouses, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. Vasyl Pesenko, 25, stood in his kitchen, damaged in the attack. 'I was lying in bed, as always hoping that these Shaheds (drones) would fly past me, and I heard that Shahed (that hit the house),' he said. 'I thought that it would fly away but it flew closer and closer and everything blew away.'
