'Off Radar…’ How Putin’s Spies ‘Flew’ Assad Out Of Russia’s Syria Air Base As HTS Took Damascus

As Syrian rebels rapidly advanced toward Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad’s ally Russia soon released that it could no longer prop up his regime, as per a report. Haunted by video of the mob killing of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi in 2011, Moscow planned Assad’s exit from Syria, reported Bloomberg.
Russia is said to have told Assad that he would lose the fight against armed groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Moscow then offered Assad and his family safe passage if he left immediately, as per the Bloomberg report citing unnamed sources.
Russian intelligence agents organised the escape, flying Assad out via its air base in Syria, sources told Bloomberg. During the escape early on Dec. 8, Assad’s plane reportedly disappeared from radar, sparking concerns it might have crashed.
The aircraft had been observed heading west toward the Mediterranean coast and then vanished from tracking maps. The aircraft’s transponder was turned off to avoid being tracked, a source is said to have told Bloomberg.

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