NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is 'healthy and safe', says WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says he knows where Edward Snowden is but cannot reveal that information because of "bellicose threats" from the U.S. government. AFTER embarrassing the US government by slipping out of Hong Kong unnoticed, fugitive Edward Snowden has left a gaggle of reporters with egg on their face. Mr Snowden arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Hong Kong, from where he leaked to the media details of secret cyber-espionage programs by both US and British intelligence agencies. After leaving his bolthole in Hong Kong, Snowden vanished in Moscow after failing to take a flight to Cuba from where he had been expected to continue to Ecuador and claim asylum. He was said by Russian officials to have spent the night in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport awaiting his onward connection. He had been expected to take Aeroflot's 1005 GMT (8.05pm AEST) flight Monday from Moscow to Havana after airline sources confirmed he had checked in. But the flight left the terminal at Moscow Sheremetyevo airport - with a pack of hopeful journalists on board - and then took off with no sign that the former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor was among the passengers. Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says Mr Snowden and his WikiLeaks legal advisor is "in a safe place and his spirits are high," but would not reveal his location. The journalists are now enjoying the sunny weather in Cuba - without a story. Adding to the mystery, he was not once seen in public in the Moscow airport since Sunday's Aeroflot flight arrived from Hong Kong. Edward Snowden is not on board The Interfax news agency quoted a Russian security source and an Aeroflot source saying that he was not on board the flight to Havana. NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden may have already slipped out of Russia, after failing to board his flight to Cuba. It quoted another source familiar with the matter as saying: "Snowden, most likely, has already left the Russian Federation. He could have left by a different plane. The IT contractor is the target of a US arrest warrant issued Friday after he leaked details of the cyber-espionage programs. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said the fugitive intelligence analyst was "healthy and safe," although he refused to reveal his whereabouts. Mr Snowden and the WikiLeaks staff member travelling with him, Sarah Harrison, are "in contact with their legal team," Mr Assange said in a teleconference. "I cannot give further information as to their whereabouts or present circumstances other than to say that the matter is in hand," he added. US Secretary of State John Kerry said it was "disappointing" that Mr Snowden had been able to fly from Hong Kong to Russia, and warned it could strain US ties with Russia and China. We are aware where Mr Snowden is, he is in a safe place and his spirits are high. Due to the bellicose threats coming from the US administration we cannot go into further detail at this time. Unfortunately we cannot reveal what country he is in at this time. Ecuador has been harbouring Assange in its London embassy for a year, after he fled there to avoid deportation to Sweden where investigators want to question him about accusations of rape. Mr Snowden went on the run after embarrassing US President Barack Obama by revealing a massive secret surveillance program of phone calls and internet companies. US Secretary of State John Kerry has dubbed Mr Snowden a traitor to his country and warned both Russia and China that their relations with the US might be damaged by their refusal to extradite him. People watch as flight SU150 to Havana, docks at the Moscow Sheremetyevo airport. Mr Snowden was set to fly out of Russia on the flight, but was reportedly not on board. The leaks forced Mr Obama's administration to defend US intelligence agencies' practice of gathering huge amounts of telephone and Internet data from private users around the world. Ecuador has said it was studying a request Mr Snowden had filed for asylum and he had been widely expected to fly on to the capital Quito from Havana, Cuba after arriving from Moscow. He and his accompanying party Sarah Harrison, a British national working on the legal team of the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks, had been checked in on the flight SU150 to Havana, according to an AFP correspondent who saw the flight roster. Russian security sources said they had no reason to arrest Mr Snowden, who officials described as an ordinary "transit passenger" who had not crossed the border. Mr Kerry said Monday it was "disappointing" that Mr Snowden had been able to fly from Hong Kong to Russia, warning of consequences for ties with Moscow and Beijing. Light shines through a cabin window on empty seat 17A, which an Aeroflot official said was booked in the name of former CIA technician Edward Snowden, shortly before takeoff. Picture: AP/Max Seddon Mr Kerry, speaking on a visit to New Delhi, also defended the decision to seek Mr Snowden's arrest, saying he was a traitor. "He is an indicted individual, indicted on three felony counts," he said. Evidently he places himself above the law having betrayed his country. Ecuador to make a decision Ecuador Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino confirmed that the leftist Latin American country, whose embassy in London is already sheltering Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, was analysing Mr Snowden's asylum request. Ecuador's outspoken leftist President Rafael Correa has championed the cause of Mr Assange and his allies, to the fury of the United States. The US State Department has revoked Mr Snowden's passport and asked other countries to prevent him from travelling. But a source in Russia's security agencies told Interfax that Mr Snowden could travel without a passport. The New York Times quoted Mr Assange as saying his group had arranged for Snowden to travel via a "special refugee travel document" issued by Ecuador last Monday.