New details on Assad's departure to Moscow: How he took his 'A-team' to Russia...

The flight of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from the Russian Hmeimim airbase on the Syrian coast to Moscow on December 8, and the key figures he took with him, have been a major topic of discussion. According to two different sources, it was stated that Assad was accompanied by only a very limited team.

KEY FIGURES IN ASSAD'S ESCAPE

According to information that emerged following his escape, those with Bashar al-Assad included his secret ally, Presidential Secretary-General Mansour Azzam, and economic advisor Yasar Ibrahim, who managed the financial structure of the Assad family.

It was alleged that Assad's brother, Maher al-Assad, commander of the elite Fourth Division tasked with defending Damascus, was unaware of this plan. According to a Syrian military source, Maher al-Assad left his men in a difficult position, attempting to go to Iraq first by helicopter and then to Russia by following a separate route.

MAHER AL-ASSAD'S ROUTE

An Iraqi security source speaking to AFP said that Maher arrived in Iraq by plane on December 7 and stayed there for five days. The final destinations of Maher al-Assad, who left Iraq, remain unclear.

Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi confirmed that Maher's wife and son entered Lebanon briefly before leaving from Beirut Airport. However, the final destinations of these family members have not yet been disclosed. A Lebanese security source also stated that other individuals, including Maher al-Assad's son, followed separate routes.

DENIAL FROM IRAQ

The Iraqi Interior Ministry denied allegations that Maher al-Assad or Ali Mamlouk, one of the regime's intelligence chiefs, were in Iraq.

Maher and Bashar al-Assad are wanted by France for their alleged involvement in war crimes related to chemical attacks carried out in Syria in 2013.