Russian Military in Syria

Russian Military in Syria

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

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Incident Code

RS1225

Incident date

September 5, 2016

Location

حي السكري, Sukkari (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.17594, 37.14111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A family of six died in an air or artillery strike on Aleppo’s al Sukkari neighbourhood, according to local media – though sources were conflicted as to whether this was the work of Russia or the Syrian regime.

ZamanAlwasel, Kalimahora and LCCSY blamed Russia, with LCCSY pointing to a vacuum missile attack on a residential building.

However, other sources such as the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the Shaam News Network and AMC, said that the regime was responsible.

According to Alamaiw, “regime helicopters shelled the neighbourhood with gas cylinders”.

Halab Today published an image of “an unexploded missile fired by regime forces” [see image below], reporting that there had been “dozens killed and injured following an intense missile and artillery attack”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (1)

Six members of the Al Ahmad family
killed

The victims were named as:

Jom’a Habon
11 years old injured
Ahmad Sabbagh
7 years old killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 6
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (11) [ collapse]

  • Images of Al Sukkari - the aftermath of alleged Russian shelling (Tweet via @Alresalahpress)
  • Mass material destruction in Al Sukkari - the result of suspected Russian aerial bombardment (via Enab Baladi)
  • Mass material destruction in Al Sukkari - the result of suspected Russian aerial bombardment (via Enab Baladi)
  • The White Helmets at the scene in Al Sukkari following suspected warplane shelling (via Enab Baladi)
  • One of the White Helmet rescue team holds a baby in his arms - saved from the destruction in Al Sukkari (via Enab Baladi)
  • A street full of rubble in Al Sukkari - the consequences of alleged warplane shelling (via Enab Baladi)
  • A man holds a baby in his arms - resuced from the alleged Russian warplane shelling (via RFS)
  • A photograph of one of the missiles in Al Sukkari - the source suspected six killed (Tweet via @shbabRevolution)
  • Jom’a Habon, 11, was injured due to warplanes shelling in Al-Sukkari (Tweet via @IranArabSpring)
  • The White Helmets scour the rubble for survivors in Al Sukkari (Tweet via @kalimahorra1)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A graphic image of Ahmad Sabbagh aged 7 years. Allegedly hit by an explosive barrel bomb on Marya street (Tweet via @farmaneMehrdad)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 6
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1226

Incident date

September 5, 2016

Location

الرستن‬, Ar-Rastan, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.93, 36.74 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to three civilians including a child and a woman died and as many as ten others were wounded in an alleged Russian airstrike on al Rastan, according to local media.

Syria1news1 tweeted an image of a man crying over his sister’s body following a strike. Like a number of sources, the report didn’t identify the warplane responsible. But other reports attributed the event to Russia.

According to LCCSY, “a civilian was killed and ten others were wounded, including four children when Russian warplanes bombed Rastan town”.

Shahbla added that a child was also killed.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammed Hasson
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–10
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • A young man weeps over the body of his sister - allegedly killed in Russian airstrikes on al Rastan (Tweet via @syria1news1)
  • An elderly man in Al Rastan prays - he was injured in suspected Russian shelling (Youtube via Alrstn alrstn)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Footage of the body of Mohammed Hasson, a displaced person from Ghernata village, killed in alleged Russian shelling (Youtube via Homs Alrastan)
  • Bombing in Al Rastan - clouds of smoke rise after alleged strikes (Youtube via Qasioun)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–10
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1227

Incident date

September 5, 2016

Location

غرناطة, Gharnata, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.89419, 36.67881

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were killed and others wounded an alleged Russia airstrike on Ghirnata village, according to local media.

Nabd Syria and LCCSY blamed Russian airstrikes for the death of two non-combatants.

Other sources mentioned artillery and air strikes in the area but didn’t say who carried them out.

However, Homs Media Center reported regime actions in the area, saying that “regime forces stationed in Krad Al-Dasneya village fire artillery shells in Ghirnatah” – though the source made no mention of civilian casualties.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1232

Incident date

September 6, 2016

Location

مَعَرَّة النُّعْمَان, Maarat al Numan, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.647038, 36.679174 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian died and up to three others were wounded in an alleged Russian airstrike on Maarat al Numan in Idlib, according to local media.

Halab Today reported: “A civilian was killed and others wounded in Ma’arat Al-Nu’man due to warplanes shelling with cluster bombs”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights also reported the use of cluster bombs.

EdlibNN put the death toll at one with three more wounded.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Cluster bomb remnants found in Maarat al Numan - evidence of suspected Russian warplane shelling (Tweet via @SN4HR)
  • The White Helmet rescue team in Maarat al Numan work through the rubble and destruction caused by alleged Russian warplane shelling (Tweet via @mohd_homsi)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1233

Incident date

September 6, 2016

Location

معر شورين, Maarshorine, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.6675976, 36.7290564 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian died in Maarshorine, a village in the southern countryside of Idlib, according to numerous reports. Multiple sources, including @edlepnews and Alamawi, alleged Russia culprit.

LCCSY said that “a young man was martyed” due to the strikes. The source reported a qualitative similarity between the strike on Maarshorine and earlier strikes on Maardibsa which it described as “Russian airstrikes with vacuum missiles”.

Reports that did not apportion blame referred only to “warplanes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1234

Incident date

September 6, 2016

Location

باتبو, Batbo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.13447, 36.73979 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to eight civilians died and as many as 15 were wounded in an airstrike on an oil factory in Hazano, according to local media. While most sources attributed the event to Russia, two pointed towards the Syrian regime.

Orient news and LCCSY put the death toll at three, with LCCSY adding that 15 civilians were wounded. Some other sources said one civilian died.

However, Syrian Press Center and Halab Today put the death toll at eight.

According to Syria News Desk, “in the western Aleppo countryside Russian planes launched three raids on a factory used to extract olive oil south of the village of Batbo, which led to the death of 8 civilians and the injury of 15 others – most of them workers at the factory, which is owned by civilians. The raid also caused the total destruction of the factory and its exist out of service.”

Two sources – Baladi and Kafr_Zayta – reported that the regime was responsible.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–15
  • 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 (22) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • The Civil Defense team extinguishes fires at the oil factory in Hazano - the result of suspected Russian warplane shelling (Youtube via Baladi)
  • Local people at the site where alleged Russian warplanes struck in Hazano (via Syrianpc)
  • Major fires blaze in Hazano due to suspected Russian shelling on an oil factory. Footage shows the efforts of The White Helmet rescue mission (Youtube via CDI)
  • The White Helmets hose the remains of a building in Hazano. Fires blazed between Hazano and Batbo - resulting in civilian casualties (Tweet via @HalabTodayTV)
  • Photographed from a vehicle - plumes of smoke rise above the oil factory in Hazano, the impact of suspected Russian shelling (Tweet via @mohamad_msry)
  • Multiple photographs of smoke clouds above Hazano and Batbo. The source alleged Regime warplanes responsible (Tweet via @The_Syrian1)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–15
  • 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 (22) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1235

Incident date

September 6, 2016

Location

خان شيخون, Khan Shaykhun, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.44208, 36.65095 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between seven and nine civilians, including two female children and two or three members of the civil defence died in airstrikes on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib, according to sources on the ground. While the majority of reports blamed Russia, several attributed the attack to the Syrian regime or did not identify the culprit.

According to Smart, 20 civilians were also wounded. It reported “when the civil defense came to rescue them the warplanes came back and targeted their car. Two members of the civil defense were killed and two were wounded.”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights put the death toll at eight an in a later report at nine, reporting that “two female children and civil defense members” were killed.

PrimoAhmad, however, alleged three members of the civil defense died.

The source Mohamadsalomala attributed the event to the Syrian regime, while the Shaam News Network referred to “Russian/Assad planes”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abdul-Hamid Kirawan
35/36 years old male White Helmet killed
Ibrahim Dayoub
30/31 years old male White Helmet killed
Maher Saloum Al-Abed
Age unknown killed
Mohammed Khattab Abu-Anas
Age unknown male killed
Rami Mohammed Ref’at Idris
Age unknown killed
Norman Abdul-Razzak
Child killed
Bilal Issawi
Age unknown killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 9
  • (2 children3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–20
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • A street in Khan Sheikhoun following alleged Russian warplane shelling (via Ana Press)
  • Clouds of smoke rise above Khan Sheikhan, the impact of suspected Russian warplane shelling (via Arabstoday)
  • Five members of the civil defense team killed - two in Aleppo and three in Khan Sheikhoun. It is unclear from the source which members died in each area. (Tweet via @PrimoAhmad) [Page no longer availabe - accessed via Airwars archive]
  • Ibraheim Ahmad Dayoub - A member of The White Helmet's team suspected killed by Russian warplanes on Khan Sheikhoun (via SN4HR)
  • Abdul Hameid Abdullah Kairawan a member of The White Helmets killed in alleged Russian warplane shelling on Khan Sheikhoun (via SN4HR)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 9
  • (2 children3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–20
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1228

Incident date

September 6, 2016

Location

حور, Hor, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.88256, 38.17169 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to six civilians including two children and a woman died and up to 20 more civilians were wounded in alleged Russian airstrikes on Hor town, local media reported.

According to LCCSY, “Russian warplanes launched airstrikes with vacuum missiles on Hor town in the western suburbs with led to the fall of four civilian martyrs from the same family in addition to several wounded with various degrees of injuries”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said that the four dead included two children and a woman.

But other sources, including Shahed-ay and Smart, said that five people died with four more wounded.

Alsharq put the death toll at six – while Ara News and RFS said seven died (all from the same family) with “more than 20” others wounded

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 6
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–20
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Material destruction in Hor town - the results of suspected Russian bombardment (via Shahed-ay)
  • The White Helmets at the scene in Hor - surveying the impact of alleged Russian shelling (via Syrianpc)
  • Rubble and a partly demolished building in Hor - the impact of suspected Russian warplane shelling (via Halab Today TV)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 6
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–20
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]