Syria’s ousted president Bashar al-Assad was in Moscow to attend a ceremony marking his son Hafez’s receipt of a PhD in mathematics when opposition forces launched their surprise offensive on November 27, according to a report by Al Majalla.The battles in Syria forced al-Assad to skip his son’s ceremony, the report said. Instead, he stayed in his room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow, closely monitoring updates about the opposition’s advance. On Friday, November 29, the day opposition forces captured Aleppo, al-Assad was on a flight back to Damascus from Moscow.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.After the fall of Aleppo, al-Assad reportedly rejected advice from Russia to prepare for stepping down to avoid bloodshed in the capital.The arrangements for al-Assad’s escape were not finalized until the night of December 7-8. According to Al Majalla, the former president fled Damascus to Russia’s Hmeimim airbase in western Syria before heading