Following the fall of Damascus to rebel forces on Saturday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has sought and been granted asylum in Russia, according to reports from Russian News Agency Tass. Assad's departure from Syria concludes his family's more than five-decade rule. Speculation regarding his destination has been rife since his escape, with Russia and Iran emerging as the most likely havens.

The image above depicts Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a visit to an airbase in Latakia Province, Syria, in December 2017. (Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/via Reuters/File)

A coalition of predominantly radical Islamist groups spearheaded the offensive that led to the capture of Damascus and the collapse of the Assad regime. This offensive marks the latest chapter in a brutal 14-year civil war that has devastated Syria, facilitated the rise of ISIS, and drawn in international players like the United States, Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

This photo shows rebel forces in northwest Syria seizing military vehicles belonging to the regime as they advanced towards Kweris Airport in the eastern countryside of Aleppo in December 2024. (Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via APRami Alsayed/NurPhoto via AP)

Assad has maintained a long-standing alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has provided substantial military support to the Syrian regime for over a decade. Interfax, citing a Kremlin source, reports that Assad has arrived in Russia with his family. A Kremlin source confirmed to the outlet that Assad and his family have been granted asylum in Russia on humanitarian grounds.

The image portrays fighters entering the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo in November 2024.  (Bakr Alkasem/AFP via Getty Images)