Is THIS where Assad is in hiding? Tyrant’s family own lux apartments in Moscow skyscraper that was once Europe’s tallest

TYRANT Assad and his family may be hiding inside a luxury apartment in a Moscow skyscraper that was once Europe's tallest.

Putin personally granted political asylum to Bashar al-Assad after he was forced to flee Syria - and now he and his family could be looking to build a new life in Russia.

The Syrian dictator and his family may be living in one of the 20 Moscow apartments his extended family owns, looking to maintain their luxurious lifestyle despite being in exile.

Purchased in the prestigious Moscow City district, the apartments are said to be worth more than £30 million in recent years, showing just how safe the Assads are in their pal Putin's country.

The majority of the apartments are in the City of Capitals complex - a twin-towered skyscraper that sat once as the tallest in Europe.

It is home to some of Russia's wealthiest businessmen, being only a stone's throw from key, multinational companies.

Government ministries and five-star hotels also sit in the complex.

Images of the apartments in the luxurious complex show stunning fittings and pricey furnishings.

Other apartments are in the nearby Federation Tower which is renowned as Moscow's tallest building.

These apartments boast sky-high ceilings, extravagant lighting and modern furnishings with incredible panoramic views of the city.

Assad's relatives, the Makhloufs, have long been dubbed Syria's second wealthiest and most important family, holding significant assets in Russia.

And to keep tens of millions outside of Syria while the civil war reached new heights, the family initially bought at least 18 luxury apartments in the City of Capitals.

Moscow City is home to roughly 10,000 people and was predominantly constructed during Russia's oil and gas boom in the 2000s.

Its creation marked a key moment in showing evil Putin's ambitions to transform his country into a global power.

It remains unclear whether the family will live in one of their luxurious, skyscraper apartments or whether they will be forced to stay in a government safehouse.

There is also speculation that Assad may have bought a mansion in or near St Petersburg ahead of his escape into exile.

The possibility is there that he had planned a luxury bolthole in advance in Russia’s tsarist capital, St Petersburg, where Vladimir Putin was born when it was named Leningrad.

The toppled tyrant has been out of sight since apparently arriving in Russia, evidently on Sunday, when he was granted political asylum by Putin.

A Telegram "inside-track" channel said its source suggests "in the near future the family of the [ousted] Syrian president plans to move to a villa in St. Petersburg, which they purchased in advance, where they will be under special protection".

It also claims that the London-born wife of the former Damascus leader Asma al-Assad "has been in St. Petersburg for some time, where she is undergoing treatment for cancer".

She was diagnosed in May with acute myeloid leukaemia - an aggressive form of blood and bone marrow cancer.

Asma married into the horrific autocratic dynasty in 2000 and has since reportedly become accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle.

She is known for spending eye-watering amounts on home furnishings and clothes.

In private correspondence seen by Wikileaks in 2012, Asma's spending included an eye-watering $350,000 on the Syrian palace's furnishings and $7,000 on crystal-encrusted shoes.

The US State Department even estimates the family are collectively worth a whopping $2 billion, with their wealth kept under wraps in various accounts, shell companies and offshore tax havens.

But a large place where their wealth is maintained is in real estate portfolios - like the Moscow apartments.