Shockwave

So ends more than fifty years of dictatorship in Syria. On Sunday 8 December, an armed coalition led by Abu Mohammad al-Julani's Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) stormed the capital, Damascus, after a lightning offensive. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who inherited power from his father and whose regime was known for its brutality and corruption, promptly fled the country. His fall has been greeted by jubilant demonstrations in Syria, as well as in Europe, where almost 1.3 million Syrians have sought refuge since 2015.

Assad has found refuge in Russia, with his fellow dictator and long-time ally, Vladimir Putin. For the moment, the deposed leader is not expected to meet with the Russian president.

The fall of the Syrian regime is a setback for the Kremlin, which had a valuable naval base at Tartus - Russia's only direct access to the Mediterranean - and an air base near Latakia in the west. Preoccupied with Ukraine, Putin's response remains to be seen. For the time being, the surprise downfall of the Assad clan marks the beginning of a political turning point, after years of civil war that has drained the country of its lifeblood.