Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs
Syria’s central bank sent $250 million in cash to Russia between 2018 and 2019, a period when then-leader Bashar al-Assad relied heavily on Russian military support, the Financial Times reported Monday, citing export data.
From March 2018 to September 2019, more than 20 flights reportedly arrived at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport carrying a declared total of over $250 million. The cash shipments, consisting of $100 bills and 500 euro notes, weighed nearly two metric tons.
The money was deposited into two sanctioned banks, the Russian Financial Corporation Bank (RFK) and TsMR Bank, according to FT. RFK, an arm of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, was sanctioned by the United States in 2024 for foreign currency transfers and sanctions evasion on behalf of the Syrian regime.
“The Syrian state could be paying the Russian state for a military intervention,” Malik al-Abdeh, a London-based Syrian analyst, was quoted as saying.
news
Fate of Russian Military Bases in Syria Undecided, Kremlin Admits
Read more
Russia’s 2015 intervention is widely seen as a turning point in the Syrian civil war, bolstering Assad’s regime as it battled a diverse array of rebel forces.
Earlier this month, Assad fled to Russia as Islamist-led rebels entered Damascus after a lightning offensive, ending five decades of Baath Party rule.
The Syrian central bank’s cash transfers could also be “a combination of securing [the Assad family’s] ill-gotten gains and Syria’s patrimony abroad,” said David Schenker, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
“The regime would have to bring their money abroad to a safe haven to be able to use it to procure the fine life… for the regime and its inner circle,” Schenker told FT.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today? Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.
We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.
