Russian Military in Syria

A Russian combat aircraft at Khmeimim airbase in Syria being prepared for action. (Russian Ministry of Defence)

Belligerent
Russian Military
Country
Syria
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure

Incident Code

RS3629

Incident date

April 28, 2019

Location

البشيرية, Al Bashiriya, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Local media reported that two children were wounded in alleged Russian airstrikes with vacuum rockets on the town of Al Bashiriya in Idlib.

EdlibEmc1 posted “Two children were injured as a result the targeting by the Russian occupation warplanes of the town of Al Bashiriya west of Idlib with concussion missiles.”

No further details are currently available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • An alleged Russian airstrike hits Al Bashriya, April 28th (via EdlibEMC1)
  • An alleged Russian airstrike hits Al Bashriya, April 28th (via EdlibEMC1)
  • A wounded child is rescued from Al Bashriya on April 28th following an alleged Russian airstrike on the town (via JMC)
  • A reported Russian airstrike hits Al Bashiriya, Idlib, April 28th (via Syriapost 3)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3380

Incident date

April 1, 2018

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr Al Shougur, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.814269, 36.31994 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Several missiles fell on the city of Jisr Al Shougur in Idlib province, wounding two civilians, according to Smart News.

The news agency attributed the strike to Russian forces, however, Idlib24 reported said Syrian planes were also involved.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2895

Incident date

January 13, 2018

Location

كفرزيتا, Kafr Zeita, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.3747033, 36.5923691 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were reportedly wounded in alleged Russian or regime air and artillery strikes which struck Kafr Zeita. There were no reports of any civilian deaths. All sources either blamed Russia, or did not attribute blame to a belligerent.

According to local media, Russian aircraft bombarded the vicinity with the use of concussion bombs.

Smart reported that, “Two civilians, including a woman, were wounded on Saturday by an air strike likely to be Russian on the towns and villages of the northern Hama countryside, coinciding with heavy artillery and missile fire on the area.”

Alweeam noted that the Assad regime was also carrying out shelling on Idlib and Hama, including on Kafr Zeita, at this time.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS288

Incident date

December 17, 2015

Location

حي المرجة, Al Murja, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1867279, 37.1785927 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Dozens were reported killed and injured in a friendly fire incident when Russian warplanes allegedly targeted Al Murja, killing dozens of regime fighters by mistake, according to the Shaam News Network.

No further details are currently available.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military

No Russian reports were published for December 16th-18th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS416

Incident date

January 17, 2016

Location

وادي العرايس, Wadi Al A’rayess, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.54654, 36.3946 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Shaam News Network published two videos depicting destruction in the Al Kalassi neighbourhood of Aleppo. The first showed a woman after she became homeless when “the aggressors destroyed her home“; the second depicted wounded civilians “following the strike on the area of Wadi Al A’rayess.

There are currently no further details  on the alleged strike or who was responsible for it.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • A distressed woman crying out after her home was destroyed by an alleged Russian raid. (via, SNN)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Wounded civilians depicted following an alleged airstrike on Wadi al A'rayess. (via, SNN)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military

In its report for military actions on January 19 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Aleppo governorate: “In the course of the last four days, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 157 combat sorties engaging 579 objects of terrorists’ infrastructure in the provinces of Aleppo, Raqqah, Latakia, Homs, Hama and Deir ez-Zor.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2950

Incident date

January 30, 2018

Location

كفرزيتا, Kafr Zeita, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.3747033, 36.5923691 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were wounded in airstrikes on Kafr Zeita, according to local media. Sources all attributed the blame to Russia.

According to sources such as Al Latamna youth group, the raids struck a hospital, wounding patients at the vicinity.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The exact moment airstrikes hit a hospital in Kafr Zeita, Jan 30th 2018. (via Step News Agency)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3520

Incident date

July 17, 2018

Location

عين التينة, Ein al Teena, Quneitra, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to 15 civilians including four women and five children were reported killed and others injured when Russian forces or Syrian regime forces attacked with airstrikes a school used as a shelter for IDPs in Ein al Teena in Quneitra, Syria on July 17th, 2018.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said ” At least eight civilians, including children and women, most of them are from the same family, were killed as Syrian regime helicopters dropped barrel bombs on a school sheltering IDPs in Ein al Teena village in Quneitra governorate southern suburbs, on July 17th, 2018.”

@Obadaalshamii tweeted “The death of a whole family of ten people, in the town of Ain Al-Teenah in the countryside of Quneitra, after helicopters  targeted a school used as a shelter for displaced people in the countryside of Dara’a with explosive barrels.”

For Southern Syria Facebook page posted “A massacre of ten civilians, most of them are children and women, when a school building sheltering displaced people in the countryside of Quneitra was targeted.”

Shaam Network said that most of the victims belong to one family. “Activists from Dara’a Martyrs Documentation Office confirmed that at least ten displaced civilians were killed, and some injured are in critical conditions what might  raise the death toll. They also confirmed that among the martyrs was a whole family of displaced people from the city of Al-Hara, who fled for fear of bombing and killing.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights raised the death toll to fourteen. “The number of citizens who were killed and documented by the SOHR in the massacre which took place as a result of the bombardment on Ayn al-Tinah town today morning, July 17th, 2018 has risen to 14.”

@syria7ra said a compound of school was targeted with ‘high-explosive missiles.’

A Facebook page called ‘We are all the child martyr Hamza Ali al Khateeb’ posted “More than 15 martyrs of women and children displaced from Daraa to the Quneitra  countryside were killed by al-Assad this morning.”

Local sources blamed Russia only, the Syrian regime only or both of them.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 15
  • (3–5 children2–4 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–10
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (34) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (21) [ collapse]

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    Two dead children in the aftermath of airstrikes, 17th July 2018. (via We are all the child martyr Hamza Ali al Khateeb)
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    Bodies in the aftermath of airstrikes, 17th July 2018. (via For Southern Syria)
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    Bodies in the aftermath of airstrikes, 17th July 2018. (via For Southern Syria)
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    Bodies in the aftermath of airstrikes, 17th July 2018. (via Euphrates Post)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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    An infant killed as a result of alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime's airstrike on a shelter for IDPs in Ain al Teenah in Quneitera, Syria on July 17th, 2018 (via @Obadaalshamii).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child killed as a result of alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime's airstrike on a shelter for IDPs in Ain al Teenah in Quneitera, Syria on July 17th, 2018 (via @Obadaalshamii).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian killed as a result of alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime's airstrike on a shelter for IDPs in Ain al Teenah in Quneitera, Syria on July 17th, 2018 (via @3amaral7arery).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Bodies of civilians killed in alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Ain Alteenah in Quneitera, Syria on July 17th, 2018 (via @AyatOrabi55.)
  • Destruction in civilian houses after an alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Ain Alteenah in Quneitera, Syria on July 17th, 2018 (via @AyatOrabi55.)
  • Destruction in civilian houses after an alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Ain Alteenah in Quneitera, Syria on July 17th, 2018 (via @AyatOrabi55.)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilians, likely from the same family, killed in alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Ain alTeenah in Quneitera on July 17th, 2018 (via @okpazobany)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilians, likely from the same family, killed in alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Ain alTeenah in Quneitera on July 17th, 2018 (via @okpazobany)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 15
  • (3–5 children2–4 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–10
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (34) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3283

Incident date

March 16, 2018

Location

حرستا, Harasta, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.55869, 36.36515 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least six civilians, including a child, were killed in airstrikes on residential areas of the city of Harasta on March 16th, as reported by several sources. It remains unclear whether the Russian military or the Syrian regime was responsible for the strike.

Six victims have been named, but Jobar News counted nine or 10 victims in total. Several sources mention “many injured”, but the exact numbers remain unclear.

@EuphratesPost reported that the airstrike was conducted by Russian warplanes, whereas others such as @SyrianScene accused the Syrian regime. Sources mention the use of cluster bombs.

Damascus News writes that airstrikes, rocket shelling and shelling with drones took place. The Syrian Civil Defence reported that the city was targeted with 35 Russian airstrikes, including eight raids with cluster bombs and four raids with napalm, 13 barrels from helicopters and more than 27 surface-to-surface missiles.

Harasta City Post blamed both Russia and the Syrian regime and reported 43 airstrikes in total, in addition to 45 surface-to-surface missiles, 17 explosive barrels and intensive artillery shelling on the city.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Child male brother of Ahmad Al Dagr killed
Adult male brother of Mohammed Al Dagr killed

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 10
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Airstrikes on Harasta, March 16th 2018 (via @EuphratesPost).
  • Airstrikes on Harasta, March 16th 2018 (via @EuphratesPost).
  • Airstrikes on Harasta, March 16th 2018 (via @EuphratesPost).

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 10
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (15) [ collapse]