Assad and Russian generals’ flee Syria: key details revealed

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported the information.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Kremlin used disinformation about a plane crash involving Assad to cover up its operation to rescue him and a select group of his close associates.

"The loss of Assad's plane signal from radar is likely linked to the actions of the crew, who followed instructions from the Russians and carried out the flight under their guidance," the intelligence suggests.

Additionally, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reports that the remaining Russian forces in Syria are "hastily packing up and leaving by sea and air."

High-ranking Russian army officials were the first to flee. Following General Sergey Kisel, the newly appointed commander of Russian forces in Syria, General Alexander Chaiko, also left the region.

Ukrainian intelligence revealed that Russia deployed additional ships, including vessels from the Baltic Fleet, to evacuate their remaining weapons, equipment, and personnel.

Russia requests help for evacuation

According to sources from Clash Report, the Kremlin has reached out to Turkey for support in safely withdrawing Russian troops from Syria.

Additionally, Russia is reportedly planning to use weapon smuggling through Syrian ports aboard civilian vessels to quietly transport them across the Bosporus, using fishing and commercial ships.

Under the Montreux Convention, which regulates maritime movement between the Black and Mediterranean Seas via these straits, military ships are prohibited from crossing the straits during military operations unless they belong to Black Sea states, making civilian vessels a potential alternative for covert transport.

What is happening in Syria

In Syria, a large-scale military operation by opposition forces against government troops continued. The Syrian opposition began a major offensive on the morning of November 27, capturing 56 towns in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces within two days and advancing towards the outskirts of Aleppo.

On Saturday, November 30, Russian aviation carried out airstrikes on Aleppo for the first time since 2016, as Syrian rebels reached the city center. At the same time, Russia promised additional military support to Assad's regime.

On the same day, Reuters reported, citing military sources, that Syrian rebels had captured the town of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province, thereby taking control of the entire province.

The Russian authorities decided to dismiss the commander of the Russian forces in Syria, Sergey Kisel, amid losses and growing panic among Russian troops. The situation for the Russian contingent in Syria is worsening as rebel forces advance in the south, with urban battles taking place in Hama, Homs, and Suwayda.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Russia and Iran bear responsibility for the security situation’s degradation in Syria.

On December 4, the U.S. military carried out a defensive strike against weapons systems in eastern Syria. On December 5, Syrian rebels entered the key central city of Hama, with regime forces withdrawing from the city. The next day, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged citizens to avoid traveling to Syria.

As of December 6, Syrian rebels, led by the jihadist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), advanced towards Homs, Syria's third-largest city. Additionally, the U.S.-backed alliance, led by Syrian Kurds, seized Deir ez-Zor, the main city in eastern Syria and a key border crossing with Iraq.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered to help Syrian leader Bashar Assad shape the future of Syria, but his proposal was rejected.

On December 7, Syrian opposition forces declared control over the city of Daraa in the southwest of the country. Later, rebels claimed they had entered the capital, Damascus, and announced the fall of dictator Bashar Assad's government. The president allegedly fled the country.

There is a high likelihood that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may have died in an air crash on December 8 while fleeing the country as rebels approached the capital. In Russia, it is said that he decided to leave the country himself.

On Sunday, December 8, the Russian Federation began withdrawing its military ships from the Syrian port of Tartus after rebels captured Damascus.

Later, Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Jalali stated that the country needed to conduct free elections to allow its people to choose their leadership.

Bild reported that Assad planned to transfer power to pro-Turkish forces and leave for Russia. Negotiations regarding this transfer took place in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Russian media reported on the evening of December 8 that Assad, along with his family, had flown to Moscow, where Russia reportedly granted them asylum.