Assad was instructed to board his private jet without notifying anyone and to disable the plane’s transponder. He then landed at the Russian Khmeimim Airbase near Latakia, before continuing to Moscow, likely aboard a Russian military aircraft.
Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the operation to evacuate Assad, but sources say he has no plans to meet with the exiled leader. Russian agents began pushing for Assad's escape when it became clear that his forces would lose the battle against rebels.
Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, confirmed over the weekend that Assad was evacuated from Syria “in the safest possible way.” The operation took place early Sunday, with Assad’s plane briefly disappearing from radar, leading to fears it had crashed. The aircraft, initially seen heading west toward the Mediterranean coast, made a sudden U-turn and vanished from tracking systems. Later, Russian officials confirmed Assad had landed safely in Moscow and was granted political asylum along with his family. However, no photographs or videos of Assad in Russia have surfaced.
The Assad family reportedly owns at least 20 properties in Moscow, worth an estimated $40 million. Assad’s uncle, Mohammed Makhlouf, is said to have purchased 18 luxury apartments in an exclusive Moscow complex, home to wealthy Russians and government figures. While Assad’s family may live in one of these apartments, Russian authorities could provide alternate accommodations for security reasons.
Although they’ve never lived in Moscow, the Assad family is familiar with the city. Bashar’s father, Hafez Assad, frequently visited for meetings with Putin and other high-ranking Russian officials. Additionally, Assad’s eldest son studied at a university in Moscow, where he wrote his thesis in Russian, and his mother attended his graduation ceremony.
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