Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharra, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has offered his first public reflection on the final days of the Syrian war, providing rare insights into how his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement seized power in just 11 days.
In an exclusive interview with Al-Arabiya, al-Sharra disclosed that Russia made direct contact with him during the battle for Hama, which collapsed on December 5, 2025. According to al-Sharra, he had never spoken to Moscow before, but Russian officials reached out pragmatically to secure their military presence in Syria and to establish ties in anticipation of a post-Assad order. Their priorities, he explained, were safeguarding the Tartus naval base and the Khmeimim Air Base—Russia’s most strategic footholds in the eastern Mediterranean.
HTS had launched a sweeping offensive on November 27, beginning in northwest Syria. Within two days, the group captured Aleppo—a city that had withstood four years of siege during the earlier stages of the war—before advancing rapidly southward. By November 29, al-Sharra’s fighters were encircling Hama, whose fall would sever Damascus from Syria’s coastal heartland.
According to al-Sharra, Moscow concluded that the Syrian army was collapsing and unwilling to fight. On December 5, the day Hama fell largely without resistance, Russian airstrikes abruptly halted against HTS convoys moving southward. Reports at the time suggested Russia was shifting strategy, prioritizing long-term influence over loyalty to President Bashar al-Assad.
Despite inflicting heavy casualties—an estimated 3,000 HTS fighters during the offensive—Russian officials seemingly calculated that preserving their strategic assets mattered more than defending Assad’s faltering rule. Disorganization, corruption, and possible sabotage within the Syrian army further accelerated the regime’s collapse.
Since Assad’s fall on December 8, 2025, al-Sharra’s government has expanded diplomatic ties, including numerous meetings with Russian officials. On Tuesday, Russian Prime Minister Alexander Novak visited Damascus, and al-Sharra is scheduled to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next month while also attending the Arab League–Russia Summit.
Nine months later, Russia still retains its military bases in Syria, surprising many observers who expected HTS to demand their departure. The continued presence underscores Moscow’s pragmatic approach: recognizing Assad’s downfall early and ensuring its geopolitical interests remained protected by forging links with the new rulers.