Russia ‘will not come to Assad’s rescue’ as it orders citizens to leave Syria

Russia has no plans to rescue Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator, from advancing rebel forces, according to reports.

Bloomberg News quoted a source close to the Kremlin as saying Vladimir Putin was disgusted by reports that the Syrian Army was fleeing its positions.

“Russia doesn’t have a plan to save Assad and doesn’t see one emerging as long as the Syrian president’s army continues to abandon its positions,” said the source.

Fighterbomber, a prominent aviation military blogging channel, has warned that the Kremlin will struggle to evacuate its main air base before rebels attack and capture it.

It issued the warning after Jihadist rebels captured the city of Hama on Thursday evening, opening up a clear route to the Khmeimim air base, 75 miles west near the Mediterranean.

“It is almost impossible to evacuate the base. In the best case, it is possible to evacuate most of the personnel, documentation and ferry serviceable aircraft,” it said. “All other property will remain at the bases.”