Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled his homeland, leaving behind his loyalists and soldiers during a critical moment of national upheaval, according to a New York Times report.
As rebel forces approached Damascus, Assad's team was preparing what was intended to be a defining presidential address—a last-ditch effort to prevent regime collapse. However, the president had a dramatically different plan.
While his staff meticulously prepared messaging and staging for a televised speech, Assad orchestrated a covert escape. Under the cover of darkness, he departed the presidential palace via helicopter, which transported him to a Russian base in northern Syria. From there, he boarded a plane to Moscow.
The escape came amid considerable chaos and uncertainty. Earlier reports had even suggested Assad had been killed when his helicopter allegedly crashed during an attempted departure. Hours of uncertainty surrounded the president's whereabouts, adding to the dramatic account of his flight.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Assad's escape was accompanied by a mysterious disappearance of an IL-76T aircraft from monitoring radars. The intelligence suggests Russia deliberately created a media diversion to cover the extraction of Assad and his inner circle.
Assad is happily (or unhappily) ensconced in Russia now and an evil 50 year old regime is thankfully no longer with us.
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