After negotiations with the new Syrian leadership, Russia withdrew at least 400 soldiers from the Damascus region. A representative of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said that negotiations are underway to evacuate more soldiers across Syria.

Any blame, therefore, is put on Syria. On Sunday Evening with Solovyov, for example, presenter Vladimir Solovyov praised the Russian military, who he claimed had previously "ensured victory" for Bashar al Assad. Ultimately, however, the mission failed. The simple fact is - their man in Damascus is now in Moscow.

The rapid downfall of Syrian leader Bashar Assad has touched off a new round of delicate geopolitical maneuvering between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Losing Syrian military bases would hurt the Kremlin’s attempts to project power in the Middle East and Africa.

Russia has evacuated some staff from its diplomatic missions in Damascus, as well as personnel from the embassies of Belarus, North Korea, and Abkhazia, according to the Foreign Ministry’s Crisis Management Center.

The Kremlin’s failure to prevent Bashar Assad’s swift downfall in Syria has exposed the limits of Russia’s power and dented its international clout.

David Lammy has branded Bashar Assad the “rat of Damascus” who fled to Russia with his “tail between his legs”. The Foreign Secretary said the new Labour administration resisted any calls to re-engage with Syria under Mr Assad’s rule as the former president was a “monster”.

In a post on the official Facebook page of the Syrian presidency, Assad said he was releasing the statement to address "misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth" in the wake of his overthrow.

Assad has fled to Moscow, Iran has withdrawn from Syria and abandoned its mercenaries, and Russia’s remaining soldiers are isolated in the Assadist strongholds of Latakia and Tartus — where its

With Syrian opposition forces advancing rapidly toward the capital, Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad’s fate lay in Russia’s hands as his army melted away.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it was up to Syrians to determine their own future and called for an "inclusive" government taking account of the country's diverse ethnic and religious interests.