A report by CNN's Clarissa Ward about a freed Syrian prisoner provided some dramatic scenes, but the network has since found that it apparently wasn't all that it appeared.

CNN acknowledged this week it had been misled by a man purporting to be a Syrian prisoner but who was, in fact, a former intelligence officer under the Assad regime. The outlet said in a report posted Monday it had encountered the man and documented his release in a report “while pursuing leads on

Russia is moving a large amount of military equipment in Syria, signalling preparations for a partial withdrawal, analysts say. Satellite images reveal a build-up of military vehicles at a Russian-controlled port and airbase in western Syria.

The Kremlin has started pulling back its presence in Syria by moving its military equipment out of the country and transferring some of it to Libya.

Russia's influence in Syria has been weakened following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad after an offensive led by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Ahmed al-Shara urged nations to remove sanctions from Syria and the terrorism designation from his group so Syria could rebuild. Bashar al-Assad also gave his first account of fleeing to Russia.

Sham, said all fighters should be incorporated into the Defense Ministry and that “everyone will be subject to the law.”