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

RS1289

Incident date

September 20, 2016

Location

حي ‏المرجة‬, Marjah (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1855676, 37.1802235 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and four civilians were killed, and between two and thirteen wounded, when cluster and barrel bombs struck al Marja in Aleppo, according to local media. Some sources accused Russian warplanes, while others claimed regime helicopters were involved.

The Syrian Observatory for Human referred to one fatality, while Twitt-book News counted four.

@Radioharafm tweeted, “Martyrs and injuries in the Marjah neighborhood targeted by warplanes with cluster bombs in Aleppo,” while @RFS_NORTH tweeted, “Syrian helicopters targeted the neighborhoods Bab al Hadeed and Marjah with barrel bombs in the besieged city of Aleppo.”

According to Almodon, the helicopters dropped more than 10 barrel bombs.

However, other sources accused Russian warplanes. @HalabTodayTV tweeted about “injuries in a Russian aerial bombardment,”

Notably, Shaabnews tweeted that both Russian warplanes and Syrian helicopters participated in the bombings.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–13
  • 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 (16) [ 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.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–13
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1290

Incident date

September 20, 2016

Location

تلبيسة, Talbisah, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.8420186, 36.711974 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and four civilians were killed and two to 25 injured in air or artillery strikes on the city of Talbissa outside Homs, local sources reported.

The lowest death count was given by @syriapost1 as one civilian – but with 10 more wounded.

Among the dead were at least one child, woman, and young man, tweeted @Syriamubasher, while other sources stated multiple children were wounded in the attacks. The Syrian Network for Human Rights tweeted a picture of a small child who had been wounded in his left arm.

Most reports claimed four civilians were killed in the strikes. For example, Homs Media Center said: “artillery shelling targeted the neighbourhood the city of Talbisah which resulted in four martyrs and more than 25 injured.”

Sources disagreed over whether the planes were Russian or the regime’s.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • (1–2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–25
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • A small boy, reportedly injured in the alleged Assad or Russian airstrikes in Talbisah, Homs (via SN4HR)
  • Pictures showing the alleged Assad or Russian airstrikes in Talbisah, Homs (via Baladi Network)

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 – 4
  • (1–2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–25
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1291

Incident date

September 20, 2016

Location

خان طومان, Khan Touman, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1177702, 37.0513916 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 14 and 18 civilians, mostly emergency doctors and nurses, were killed in an attack on a medical centre in Khan Tuman, Aleppo, local sources reported. Most reports alleged Russian warplanes were responsible for the attack, which specifically targeted the centre. However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights also pointed to the regime in some posts.

According to Sky News Arabia, “the Russian air force raided the town of Khan Touman, around two hours after midnight, where a medical point of belonging to the union of relief organizations and medical care [UOSSM] was targeted, killing 14 people, including medical personnel, doctors, medics and ambulance drivers.”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights stated that fixed-wing warplanes “we believe are Russian” executed the strike – though there was some confused reporting, for in several other posts SN4HR blamed “regime shelling”.

Shaam News Network reported that “ambulance crews rushed to the target location to rescue the injured and take them to medical hospitals, but they came under direct bombardment during the performance of their tasks.”

Halab News Network (HNN) identified nine civilian fatalities – all reportedly rescue workers – in its list of martyrs.
In addition, HNN said eight other rescue workers were killed but were unable to identify them. Five of them were reportedly members of the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM).

Syria News Desk added that over a dozen civilians were wounded, some left in a  critical condition. Some had reportedly been in the ambulances already when the medical centre was hit.

Finally, @baladinetwork tweeted four photographs of damage to the medical centre and ambulances.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Abu Tarek al Homsi
Adult male killed
Abu al Teeb al Homsi
Adult male killed

The victims were named as:

Abu Abdallah Sabouniye
Adult male killed
Abu Mahmoud
Adult male killed
Abu Hasan Tubbiye
Adult male killed
Abu al Mu’tassem Othman
Adult male killed
Abu Hanifa
Adult male killed
Abu Ibrahim
Adult killed
Mohammad Ahmad al Yusuf
Adult male killed
Abd al Rahman Mnafihi
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    14 – 18
  • (10 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (39) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • The contested strikes reportedly destroyed a medical center in Khan Touma, Aleppo, including an ambulance (via Baladi Network)

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
    14 – 18
  • (10 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (39) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1294

Incident date

September 21, 2016

Location

المواصلات, Al Mowasalat, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.2188989, 37.2510338 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between three and five civilians were killed, including two children, after airstrikes allegedly waged by the regime or Russia, pummeled the al Mowasalat neighbourhood of Aleppo, local media reported. More civilians were trapped under rubble.

Several sorties were flown over Aleppo, and according to Islammemo “both planes and helicopters” were involved. Sources agreed that it was a “long bombardment,” per FocusAleppo News.

Baladi News said the warplanes struck several civilian homes in the liberated neighbourhoods.

@RadioAlKul tweeted that five civilians were killed, and more trapped under rubble, by regime warplanes. According to the Shaam News Network, these raids may have involved phosphorus and cluster munitions as well as rockets.

Photographs from Shehab Agency showed one body being carried out of a destroyed home, and a child being helped out.

Local media assessments of the number of dead varied: on September 21st, HalabTodayTV and the Syrian Network for Human Rights said at least three were dead. Most reports from that day claimed five dead, as did an Orient News report on the 22nd.

Alyemen reported that the bodies of two children were retrieved from the site.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (2 children)
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Aftermath of the contested strikes targeting Al Mowasalat neighborhood, Aleppo (via Smart News)
  • Civil defense in the midst of the rubble caused by the contested aerial bombardment of the neighborhood Al Mowasalat, Aleppo (Thiqa News Agency)
  • Civil defense in the midst of the rubble caused by the contested aerial bombardment of the neighborhood Al Mowasalat, Aleppo (Thiqa News Agency)
  • Civil defense in the midst of the rubble caused by the contested aerial bombardment of the neighborhood Al Mowasalat, Aleppo (Thiqa News Agency)
  • Civilians are being rescued from under the rubble following the contested airstrikes on al-Mowasalat, Aleppo (via Shehab Agency)

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
    3 – 5
  • (2 children)
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1295

Incident date

September 21, 2016

Location

قاضي عسكر, Qadi Askar, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.2025, 37.17361111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and four civilians were killed, and up to seven wounded, in an airstrike on  Qadi Askar, Aleppo, local sources reported – though reports were conflicted as to whether Russian warplanes or regime helicopters were to blame.

On September 22nd, aircraft pummeled several neighbourhoods in Aleppo. Smart News reported “four civilians were killed, and seven others injured” by barrel bombs dropped by regime helicopters. @RadioAlKul also stated that barrel bombs were used.

@RFS_NORTH tweeted that the casualties were “one martyr and a number of wounded,” while @Shahed_alep referenced three dead and an unknown number of wounded. Smart News and Baladi News both pinned the number of dead at four.

According to Islammemo and a Shaam News Network update, both helicopters and planes were involved in the attack, suggesting that Russian and regime forces were coordinated.

@Shahbapress accused the regime of carrying out the strikes, as did @RFS_NORTH, @Shahed_alep and Smart News.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–7
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Unknown
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 – 4
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–7
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1296

Incident date

September 21, 2016

Location

حي المشهد, Al Mashad (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1834027, 37.1369648 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported that one to three civilians died and as many as ten more were wounded in an airstrike on Aleppo’s Al Mashad neighbourhood. This event looks to have been carried out by helicopters belong to the Assad regime. There were no allegations against Russia, though some sources referred to unidentified “warplanes”.

Photographs from @RFS_North and @step_agency showed extensive building damage, and a Step News Agency video depicted one body being pulled out of the rubble.

@AleppoAMC tweeted about an unspecified number of wounded “after regime helicopters struck with four explosive barrels.” Step News claimed two barrel bombs were dropped.

At least one child was wounded, according to @baladinetwork.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]

  • Footage of the mass destruction of buildings al Mashhad, Aleppo, caused by airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia (via Baladi News)
  • Footage of the mass destruction of buildings al Mashhad, Aleppo, caused by airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia (via Baladi News)
  • White Helmets rescuing civilians out from under the rubble, following the airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via White Helmets)
  • Civilians in the aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via Step News)
  • Civilians in the aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via Step News)
  • Civilians in the aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via Step News)
  • Aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by either the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via RFS_NORTH)
  • Aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by either the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via RFS_NORTH)
  • Aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by either the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via RFS_NORTH)
  • Aftermath of the contested airstrikes on the city of al-Mashad (via Step News Agency)

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 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1297

Incident date

September 21, 2016

Location

Al Maysar, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.212011, 37.171227 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and three civilians were killed in the al Maysar neighbourhood of Aleppo following heavy air strikes with cluster bombs, according to local media – though sources were conflicted as to whether Russian warplanes or regime helicopters were to blame.

@ShahbaPress, @Step_Agency, SNN, and @ALAMAWI all tweeted that one civilian was “martyred” in the strikes.

Alsharq said that cluster bombs were used, as did @shahed_alep and the Shaam News Network (SNN). The SNN report mentioned that phosphorus was used in other strikes that day in Aleppo, but was unclear on whether it was used specifically in al Maysar.

According to Alsharq, “many explosive barrels” (a weapon used by the Assad regime) were dropped on al Maysar on this day.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • 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 (12) [ 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.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1292

Incident date

September 21, 2016

Location

الفردوس, Al Fardous (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.180995, 37.151892 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A young girl named Qamar was killed by alleged Russian or Assad regime airstrikes in the al Ferdos neighborhood of Aleppo, according to local media. Sources also reported further civilians trapped under the rubble.

Qasioun and Halab news blamed Russia, but most others were silent on the identity of those responsible.

@Shahed_alep tweeted, “warplanes aimed at the neighborhoods of Al Mashad, Salahuddin and Al Fardous with heavy machine guns.”

@AleppoAMC tweeted that two barrel bombs were used, while Shahid-ayan pointed directly to “shelling by Assad”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Qamar
Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Unknown

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Multiple sources reported that the girl named Qatar was killed in airstrikes in Al Fardous neighborhood, Aleppo (via Shahed_Alep tweet)

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.

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Unknown

Sources (11) [ collapse]