Bashar al-Assad's final days in Syria: Escape plan, 'Russian support is on the way' message...

London-based Al Majalla has covered the final days of Bashar al-Assad before he lost control in Syria in full detail.

The report stated that Assad had planned to attend his son's graduation ceremony in Moscow, but these plans were upended by an unexpected attack by opposition forces in Syria.

CRISIS IN DAMASCUS FOLLOWED

On November 27, the opposition launched a surprise attack. Assad, who was in Moscow, stayed in his hotel room and followed the developments closely. The crisis deepened further with the fall of Aleppo on November 29.

Assad returned to Damascus from Moscow but rejected Russia's advice to resign to prevent further bloodshed in the capital.

ESCAPE PLANS AND THE KHMEIMIM BASE

Preparations for Assad's escape could not be completed until the night of December 7-8. Assad fled to Russia's Khmeimim Air Base in western Syria and traveled to Moscow from there. It was stated that his brother Maher al-Assad and his close aides were not informed of this escape.

'RUSSIAN SUPPORT IS ON THE WAY' MESSAGE

One day before Damascus fell, Assad tried to give officials the impression that the situation was under control by saying, "Russian support is on the way."

While preparations were underway for a speech he planned to give on Sunday, December 8, a phone call from Moscow changed everything.

WHO ARE THE 2 PEOPLE HE TOOK WITH HIM?

Russian officials informed Assad that he needed to leave the country. Upon this, Assad fled, taking with him Minister of Presidential Affairs Mansour Azzam and Brigadier General Muhsin Muhammad, the head of his security unit. His family had already been sent abroad.

'HE WANTED TO STAY TO FIGHT'

Following his escape, Assad said that he "wanted to stay to fight" but that Russia did not allow it. It was stated that the reason for Assad's one-week silence after arriving in Moscow was that he was waiting to obtain access credentials for the social media accounts of the officials left behind.

ASSAD HAD REQUESTED FINANCIAL AID

It was noted that before his escape, Assad had requested military support from Iraq and financial aid from the United Arab Emirates, but that the US had warned Iraq, and Turkey had warned Russia and Iran against a possible intervention.