Following the rebels' takeover of Damascus, Russian state media has notably downplayed the coverage of these events, diverging from the extensive reporting seen on Western and Middle Eastern networks. The country's state news channel, Rossiya 24, featured brief and matter-of-fact reports on the incident, highlighting armed groups occupying the state radio and TV building in the city center. The coverage swiftly transitioned to other news, primarily focusing on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Russian news agencies similarly provided limited coverage of the unfolding events in Syria, often referencing reports from Western and Middle Eastern media outlets. Notably, Syria was not given top priority on the main page of the official TASS news agency, receiving treatment as one of several headline stories rather than a major breaking news event.
This subdued response from Russian media aligns with the restrained reaction from Russian authorities regarding the collapse of the Assad government. The Kremlin has refrained from issuing an official statement on the matter. However, Russia's foreign ministry did release a statement confirming Bashar al-Assad's departure from the country, while asserting that Russia played no part in the negotiations for the transfer of power.
