Russian intelligence agents orchestrated Bashar Assad's escape from Syria as rebels closed in on Damascus, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
Assad was instructed to board his private jet without informing anyone and to disable the plane’s transponder, the sources said. He landed at the Russian Khmeimim Airbase near Latakia before continuing to Moscow, likely aboard a Russian military aircraft.
According to the report, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the operation to rescue the Syrian dictator but has no plans to meet with him now that he is in exile in Russia. According to Bloomberg, Russian agents urged Assad to leave Syria once it became evident he would lose the battle against rebel forces.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed over the weekend that Assad was evacuated from Syria “in the safest possible way.” During the escape early Sunday, Assad’s plane disappeared from radar, sparking concerns it might have crashed. The aircraft had been observed heading west toward the Mediterranean coast before making a U-turn and vanishing from tracking maps.
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Later, Russian officials told local media that the deposed dictator had landed in Moscow and that he and his family had been granted political asylum by Putin. However, no photographs or videos of Assad in Russia have surfaced since his reported arrival.
According to the UK’s Daily Mail, the Assad family owns at least 20 apartments in Moscow, valued at close to $40 million. Assad’s uncle, Mohammed Makhlouf, purchased 18 luxury apartments in an exclusive development in the Russian capital, home to government officials, business leaders and other affluent Russians.
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Assad and his family may reside in one of these apartments, although Russian authorities could provide alternative accommodations for security reasons.
Although the Assad family has never lived in Moscow, they are familiar with the city. Bashar Assad’s father, Hafez Assad, visited frequently for meetings with Putin and other senior Russian officials. Additionally, Assad’s eldest son studied at a university in Moscow, writing his thesis in Russian, and Asma Assad attended his graduation ceremony.