TEL AVIV: An Israeli newspaper has claimed that Russian intelligence arranged the emergency departure of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from Damascus to Moscow.
On December 8, when “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” and other allied groups captured Damascus, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had already fled to Russia.
During this time, news of his plane crashing while escaping also circulated. Later, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said that Bashar al-Assad reached Moscow with his British-born wife and children and was granted political asylum.
Now, an Israeli newspaper has claimed, citing sources, that Russia told Bashar al-Assad that he had lost the war, and advised him to leave Syria immediately.
The dictatorial Syrian ruler Bashar was told to leave for Moscow without informing his close associates. Bashar did not inform his close associates before the emergency departure.
According to the American magazine Bloomberg, Russian President Putin approved the operation to safely transport Bashar to Moscow, after which Russian intelligence organized Bashar al-Assad’s safe journey.
During Bashar al-Assad’s journey, the plane’s transponder was turned off so that the plane’s location and other information could not be detected.
