Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he was evacuated to Russia from the "Hmeimim" base in Syria on the evening of December 8, "Reuters" reports.
The reason is that the base was subjected to drone attacks. Earlier that morning, he left Damascus after opposition fighters approached the Syrian capital.
Assad's comment, published on his "Telegram" channel of the Syrian presidency, dated December 16 from Moscow, was the first public statement by the Syrian president since he was ousted more than a week ago in a rebel offensive.
Five decades of rule by the Assad family ended after he fled to Moscow, where he was granted asylum.
Russia and Iran have supported Assad in Syria's long civil war, and his removal from power is seen as a major blow to the Tehran-led "Axis of Resistance", a political and military alliance that opposes Israeli and American influence in the Middle East.