Syria’s ousted president Bashar al-Assad was in Moscow to attend a ceremony marking his son Hafez’s receipt of a PhD in mathematics when opposition forces launched their surprise offensive on November 27, according to a report by Al Majalla.

The battles in Syria forced al-Assad to skip his son’s ceremony, the report said. Instead, he stayed in his room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow, closely monitoring updates about the opposition’s advance. On Friday, November 29, the day opposition forces captured Aleppo, al-Assad was on a flight back to Damascus from Moscow.

After the fall of Aleppo, al-Assad reportedly rejected advice from Russia to prepare for stepping down to avoid bloodshed in the capital.

The arrangements for al-Assad’s escape were not finalized until the night of December 7-8. According to Al Majalla, the former president fled Damascus to Russia’s Hmeimim airbase in western Syria before heading to Moscow. Al-Assad’s brother, Maher, and closest aides were reportedly kept in the dark about his departure. The report cited sources from the Syrian opposition, al-Assad’s former regime, and Arab and Western officials.

Meanwhile, Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS) group, had issued explicit instructions that any HTS fighters who attacked civilians would face immediate execution, the report said. HTS spearheaded the opposition’s offensive that ultimately toppled al-Assad, and al-Sharaa has since become Syria’s de facto ruler.

Back in Damascus, al-Assad reached out to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. He reportedly sought military support from Iraq’s Iran-backed militias and financial assistance from the UAE.

The United States explicitly warned Iraq against deploying militias to Syria, while Turkish officials cautioned Russia and Iran that any military intervention would trigger Turkish involvement, Al Majalla reported.

As opposition forces advanced southward, a civilian plane at Mezzeh military airport was reportedly used to transport crates out of the country. On December 7, the day before Damascus fell, al-Assad’s media office prepared a speech for him to deliver at the presidential palace.

That same day, al-Assad reassured officials, including his top diplomat, that the situation was under control and that “Russian support is on the way,” according to Al Majalla. Al-Assad told his advisors he would deliver the speech on Sunday, December 8.

However, on the evening of December 7, al-Assad received a call from Russian officials advising him to leave Damascus to prevent further bloodshed and safeguard Russia’s remaining interests in Syria, the report said.

By the morning of December 8, al-Assad had fled, taking only two individuals with him: Mansour Azzam, minister of presidential affairs, and Brig. Gen. Mohsen Mohammed, head of his protection unit. They escaped to Russia’s Hmeimim base in western Syria and then flew to Moscow. Al-Assad’s wife and children were already abroad.

Al-Assad broke his silence on Monday, issuing a statement claiming he had wanted to remain in Syria to “fight” but was evacuated by Russia. According to Al Majalla, the reason for al-Assad’s week-long silence after fleeing was that he was waiting for his aides – whom he had left behind – to reach Syria’s coastal areas, neighboring countries, or Moscow to retrieve the access credentials for his social media accounts.