politics

Russia is the biggest loser in Syria. In addition to losing its extensive influence in the region, Assad's fall could weaken Russia in future peace negotiations over Ukraine.

Russia is the biggest loser in Syria. In addition to losing its extensive influence in the region, Assad's fall could weaken Russia in future peace negotiations over Ukraine.
https://www.newarab.com/analysis/whats-next-russia-syria-after-assads-ouster

Assad's resistance to ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra was largely due to old Soviet-era weapons, but his military was severely underfunded and demoralized. With officers earning meager salaries and the regime unable to support its forces, his eventual downfall was predictable.

Assad was able to stand against ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra due to the weapons he had received during the Soviet era. After the civil war, Syria was a war-torn, bankrupt country that couldn't even cover the salaries of its military officers. Some army officers were living on salaries of just $50 to $100. Under such circumstances, the military lacked proper equipment and had not been modernized. This was one of the main reasons soldiers would abandon large equipment and flee during retreats—they saw no reason to fight to defend a regime that could not support the most vital pillar of the country.

In such conditions, Assad's fall should not come as a surprise.