Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for 24 years, secretly fled the country without warning his closest aides or the military leadership. His sudden flight to Moscow symbolized the final collapse of the regime and the end of more than half a century of rule by the Assad family. Details of the flight were presented by Reuters.

On Saturday, hours before his departure, Assad held a meeting at the Defense Ministry with about 30 senior military and security commanders. At the meeting, he assured those present that Russian military aid was on the way and urged soldiers to continue their defense. But these words turned out to be part of a distraction. 

Even his closest circle was unaware of his intentions. Assad told his presidential chief of staff that he was heading home and invited his media adviser, Busseina Shaaban, to come to his house to write a speech. However, when she arrived, she found the house empty. 

As it turned out later, Assad left the country at night on a plane with its transponder turned off to avoid detection. His family – his wife Asma and three children – were already in Moscow, where Assad had been granted political asylum. 

His brother Maher Assad, commander of the 4th Armored Division, was also not notified. He was forced to flee separately, making his way through Iraq. Assad's cousins, Iyad and Ihab Makhlouf, attempted to drive to Lebanon but were ambushed, killing one and wounding the other. 

After Assad fled, rebels stormed the presidential palace. Videos from his residence posted on social media showed food cooking on a stove and personal belongings left behind, confirming the haste of his departure. 

Bashar al-Assad's flight symbolizes not only the collapse of his 24-year rule, but also the end of a 13-year civil war that left behind destruction and millions of casualties.