Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pledge to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appears hollow as the Syrian leader’s family has fled to Russia amidst a rebel offensive that has captured swathes of territory across northern Syria.
According to a source close to the Kremlin, Moscow has no plans to rescue Assad and is instead focused on evacuating its military bases in the region. The Syrian president’s wife, Asma al-Assad, and their three children were spotted fleeing to Russia last week, while two of Assad’s brothers-in-law have traveled to the United Arab Emirates.
The rapid advance of rebel forces has put pressure on the Kremlin, with many experts predicting that it will struggle to evacuate its main air base in Syria before rebels attack and capture it. Russian military bloggers have warned that the Khmeimim air base is vulnerable to attack and that Syrian military claims of a counterattack are “lies”.
The US and Russia both told their citizens to leave Syria on the next available commercial flight, with some experts predicting that Assad’s fate now looks bleak. Iran has offered support to Assad, but its own military presence in Syria may be weakening due to clashes with US-backed Israel.
As the rebel strike continues to strain relations between Russia and Syria, analysts have warned that Putin will be frustrated by the renewed fighting because it will distract him from his war in Ukraine, which is a priority project. With the Syrian army not yet showing any readiness to fight, experts predict that rebels will target Damascus within the next few days.
The situation in Syria remains fluid, with multiple sources reporting conflicting information about Assad’s whereabouts and plans. However, one thing is clear: the Kremlin’s pledge to support Assad appears increasingly uncertain as the rebel offensive gains momentum.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-not-come-assad-rescue-172820336.html