Syrian rebels entered the strategically important city of Aleppo as part of an unexpected large-scale offensive against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. It is reported that the western part of the city is already under the control of opposition forces, and the administration and Assad's forces are preparing to evacuate.
Amidst these developments, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived urgently in Moscow to ask Vladimir Putin to return the Russian aircraft and troops that had previously ensured his army's air superiority.
Earlier, on November 28, Assad made an unscheduled visit to Russia due to a sudden rebel offensive that threatened the control of government forces over a number of key territories.
