Bashar al-Assad, the exiled Syrian leader currently under the protection of Russian President Vladimir Putin, reportedly survived a poisoning attempt in Moscow, according to a Thursday night report by The Economic Times and The Sun.
Did Putin try to get rid of Assad?
That would make sense. Assad is a liability and doesn’t bring anything to the table. He lost Syria and has created countless headaches for Putin.https://t.co/mhjfsmvIiA
— James Landis #Fella ?? ?? ?? (@JamesLLandis) January 2, 2025
Citing information from General SVR, a Telegram account purportedly operated by a former Russian intelligence officer, the report stated that Assad, 59, became gravely ill on Sunday after experiencing severe coughing and choking.
Subsequent medical tests allegedly “showed traces of exposure to a toxic substance in his body” according to the General SVR post, “but it has not yet been possible to determine how Bashar al-Assad was exposed to the poison.”
The Telegram channel reported that Assad received treatment in his Moscow residence, and by Monday, his condition had stabilized.
General SVR’s previous claim to fame was a dramatic report on President Vladimir Putin’s allegedly declining health.
The fate awaiting Assad in Russia remains uncertain, raising questions about whether he will share the trajectory of other exiled strongmen who sought sanctuary under Putin’s watch, such as Viktor Yanukovych, the former Ukrainian president ousted in 2014.
Russian authorities have not issued any official statements regarding the alleged incident, and the circumstances surrounding the reported poisoning remain unclear. Official propaganda outlets such as TASS and Sputnik remain mum on the story.
Russia has extended refuge to Bashar al-Assad, the longtime Syrian leader and a steadfast Putin ally after his family’s nearly five-decade grip on power crumbled in the wake of a rebel uprising spearheaded by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Assad’s departure marked a significant setback for Moscow, which is now scrambling to safeguard its strategic military foothold in Syria, including the vital naval base at Tartus on the Mediterranean coast.
It was revealed last month that London-born Asma al-Assad, the exiled president’s 49-year-old wife, has been effectively barred from returning to the UK after her British passport expired.
