Silverio Omari
As his regime crumbled, Bashar al-Assad confided in almost no one about his plans to flee Syria. Instead, he kept his intentions secret, deceiving aides, officials, and even relatives, according to more than a dozen sources familiar with the events.
In the hours before he fled to Moscow, Assad met with about 30 army and security chiefs at the defense ministry, assuring them that Russian military support was imminent and urging them to hold out, according to a commander present at the briefing, who requested anonymity.
Civilian staff were equally unaware. Assad told his presidential office manager on Saturday that he was going home after finishing work, but instead, he headed for the airport, an aide said. He also called his media advisor, Buthaina Shaaban, and asked her to come to his home to write a speech. When she arrived, no one was there.
“Assad didn’t even make a last stand. He didn’t rally his own troops,” said Nadim Houri, executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative. “He left his supporters to face their fate.” Reuters could not reach Assad in Moscow, where he was granted asylum, but interviews with 14 people familiar with his final days reveal a leader scrambling for outside help to extend his 24-year rule before quietly plotting his escape from Syria.
Assad never even informed his younger brother, Maher, the commander of the elite 4th Armoured Division, about his plan, according to three aides. Maher fled by helicopter to Iraq and then to Russia, one source said.
Assad’s maternal cousins, Ehab and Eyad Makhlouf, were also left behind as Damascus fell to the rebels. The cousins attempted to flee to Lebanon by car but were ambushed by rebels. Ehab was killed, and Eyad was wounded, sources said, though Reuters could not independently verify the incident.
Assad himself left Damascus by plane on Sunday, December 8, flying under the radar, avoiding rebels who were storming the capital. This marked the end of his 24-year rule and his family’s decades-long grip on power. He flew to Russia’s Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and from there, onward to Moscow.
His immediate family, including wife Asma and their three children, were already in Moscow, according to former close aides and regional officials. Videos of Assad’s home, taken by rebels and citizens, showed signs of a hasty departure—cooked food left on the stove and personal belongings like family photo albums abandoned.
Russia and Iran: No Military Rescue Despite Russia’s military intervention in 2015, which had helped Assad regain control, there was no military rescue in his final hours. Assad had desperately sought assistance, but his requests were denied, sources said.
In late November, Assad visited Moscow following rebel advances. He sought military intervention, but Russian officials were unwilling to commit, according to three diplomats. Hadi al-Bahra, head of the Syrian opposition, said that Assad had misled his commanders, telling them that military support was coming when, in fact, Moscow had refused to intervene.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a Doha forum, made efforts to secure Assad’s safe exit, engaging with Turkey and Qatar to arrange the logistics. The Kremlin had prioritized Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, and the intervention in Syria was no longer a top priority.
Assad Confronts His Downfall Assad finally acknowledged the inevitability of his downfall and decided to flee, bringing an end to his family’s dynastic rule. He initially hoped to seek refuge in the UAE, but was rejected due to international backlash concerns over his alleged use of chemical weapons, which he denied. Moscow, however, despite not intervening militarily, was willing to assist Assad’s escape.
Russia coordinated with neighboring states to ensure his flight would not be intercepted. Qatar and Turkey also facilitated the escape by liaising with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, despite their official denials of contact with the group, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the U.N.
Assad’s last prime minister, Mohammed Jalali, spoke to him on the phone on Saturday night. “He replied, ‘Tomorrow, we will see,'” Jalali said. “Tomorrow, tomorrow” was the last thing Assad told him. When Jalali tried to reach him again at dawn on Sunday, there was no response.
Dj Vnyash
