Russia persuaded Assad that he would lose the fight against armed groups led by the former al-Qaeda offshoot HTS and offered him and his family safe passage if he left immediately, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, asking not to be identified because the matter is sensitive.

Assad to flee Syria with Moscow having become convinced that he would lose against the insurgents rapidly advancing on Damascus, sources have said. Moscow offered Mr Assad a safe exit if he left the country immediately as the rebel forces led by former al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) approached,

Overthrown Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is in Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed on Dec. 10 in an interview with NBC News. This comes as the first official confirmation of speculations that Assad and his family fled to Moscow following the collapse of the dictator's regime in Syria.