Syria's civil war has taken a dramatic turn, with dictator Bashar Assad once again leaning on Russian support after a shock offensive by Islamist rebels in Aleppo.

Cities in Syria have been hit by Russian air strikes throughout the weekend, as anti-government rebels have advanced in Aleppo. Hundreds of people have been killed in fighting since Wednesday, when the current offensive began. Here are some key takeaways from our reporting over the past few hours:

Assad’s regime seemingly came out of nowhere, and as Aleppo fell to Turkish-backed rebels in a matter of days, the Syrian president reportedly flew to Moscow.