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

RS2014

Incident date

March 22–23, 2017

Location

حلفايا, Halfaya , Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.261787, 36.606151 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five named civilians were reportedly killed and several other civilians were wounded in alleged strikes by Russian or regime warplanes on Halfaya, Hama, on March 22nd or 23rd, local sources reported.

The road between al-Majdal and Halfaya village in Hama was reportedly struck by both air and artillery bombardment on either March 22nd or 23rd. Most sources reported that the attack took place the 23rd but several said that it occurred the 22nd.

Sources reported that “hundreds” of raids struckthe area, causing a “massacre” which struck a displaced family including women and children.

While sources reported that between two and four civilians were killed, a total of five named victims, four men and one girl, were named across different sources. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights two women were among those killed.

Most sources attributed blame to Russian warplanes, while several pointed to either the Assad regime or a joint “Syrian-Russian alliance”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Alaa Mohammed Al-Jahdou
Adult male killed
Abdul Rahman
Age unknown male Brother of Alaa Mohammed Al-Jahdou killed

The victims were named as:

Bilal Walid Al-Jamal
Adult male killed
Amina Jamil Fares Al-Hamoud
13 years old female killed
Jomea Abo Aysheh
Adult male killed
Sami al-Sayadi
Age unknown male injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 child1–2 women4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Alaa Mohammed Al-Jahdou - or his brother Abdul Rahman - both who reportedly were killed in the contested airstrikes on Halfaya, Hama, March 22nd or 23rd 2017 (via Shhda halafaya)
  • Abdul Rahman - or his brother Alaa Mohammed Al-Jahdou - both who reportedly were killed in the contested airstrikes on Halfaya, Hama, March 22nd or 23rd 2017 (via Halfaya Post)
  • Alaa Mohammed Al-Jahdou - or his brother Abdul Rahman - both who reportedly were killed in the contested airstrikes on Halfaya, Hama, March 22nd or 23rd 2017 (via Halfaya Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Bilal Walid Al-Jamal was reportedly killed in the contested airstrikes on Halfway, Hama, March 22nd or 23rd 2017 (via Halfaya Post)
  • The moment were the contested airstrikes hit Halfaya, Hama, March 22nd or 23rd 2017 (via Belal Ghawiee)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Footage of the immediate aftermath in Halfway, Hama, after the city was being hit by contested airstrikes on March 22nd or 23rd 2017 (via Belal Ghawiee)
  • Victim of the contested airstrikes on the village of Halfaya, Hama, March 22nd or 23rd 2017 (via Bof-Sy News)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any strikes between March 1st - 31st 2017.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 child1–2 women4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS044

Incident date

October 15, 2015

Location

تلبيسة, Talbisah, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.840505, 36.72922 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians were killed in a heavy airstrike on Talbiseh, according to reports.

Most attributed the attack to Russia, though at least one local report said the strike was the work of Syrian regime aircraft.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Wafaa al-Naji
Adult female killed
Faraj Omar al-Naji
Adult male killed in Teir Maala killed
Safaa al-Naji
Adult female killed
Waseem Jameil Yahya
Adult male killed
Feisal Saleh Dalleh
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 women4 men)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Faraj Al Naji, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Talbisah, 15th October 2015. (via: VDC)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Talbisah (تلبيسة), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.840505, 36.72922. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown
Official source

Russia made no reference to strikes in Homs for October 15th-16th 2015, despite its aircraft clearly having been filmed in action in the governorate.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 women4 men)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS238

Incident date

December 7, 2015

Location

الناجية, Najieh, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.7894815, 36.2177181 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three related civilians including two women were killed in a pair of airstrikes on Najieh village, according to the Violations Documentation Centre and the Syrian Network for Human Rights. One source claimed an additional two people died.

The Syrian Network blamed the regime for the attack, while the VDC and Idlib Civil Defence said the civilians died due to attacks by Russian warplanes.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Hsain Sami Shawar
Adult male killed
Wife of Hsain Sami Shawar
Adult female killed
Wife of Hasan Shawar
Adult female killed
Nabeil Shawar
Age unknown male VDC claims he died from his wounds.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (2 women1 man)
  • 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]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Father cries over his injured child who became one of the victims of a contested airstrike. (via, JISRTV tweet)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victims of Najieh. (via, Event Coast News)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Najieh (الناجية), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.7894815, 36.2177181. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown
Official source

Russia has published no known record of its strikes in Syria between December 4th-8th.

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 women1 man)
  • 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

RS270

Incident date

December 12, 2015

Location

سقبا, Sakba, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.51926, 36.38376 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between four and five non-combatants were killed in airstrikes on Sakba, according to multiple sources.

The Shaam News Network reported that two civilians died in two alleged Russian strikes on the town. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported unspecified losses also due to alleged Russian attacks.

However, footage of the attack from two separate sources appears to show Syrian Air Force MiG23s.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Husni al-Memari
Age unknown male named by VDC killed
Issam Rada
Age unknown named by VDC killed
Redwan Mohammad Ali al-Senn
Age unknown named by VDC killed
Majed al-Sheikh Khaleel
Age unknown named by VDC killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20–50
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured civilians carried from the wreckage in Sakba. (via, Yusuf al Bustani tweet)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Mohammad Husni al Memari, also known as Abu Sakhr. 12th December 2015. (via, SNN)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Majed al Sheikh, 12th December 2015. (via, SNN)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Issam Rada, 12th December 2015. (via, SNN)
  • Ambulances rush into the vicinity, moments after the raids fell. (via, Abu al Fida’a Eastern Ghouta)
  • The aftermath of the airstrike in Sakba. (via, Saquaba Revolution)
  • The exact moment the airstrike hit Sakba. (via, Abu al Fida’a Eastern Ghouta)
  • Warplanes in the skies about Sakba. (via. Saquaba Revolution)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian casualty following airstrikes on Sakba. (via, Saquaba Revolution)
  • Chaos following the airstrikes on Sakbah. (via, The White Helmets)
  • A video catching the exact moment in which the airstrike hit Sakba. (via, Syrian Revolution Coordinators Union)
  • More footage of the moment the airstrike struck. (via, Anas al Khloe, with a Syrian Rebels Gathering logo on screen)
  • The impact of the airstrike. (via, Jobar News)
  • The aftermath of the airstrike in Sakba. (via, Radiio al Kuhl)
  • Destroyed infrastructure following airstrikes in Sakba. (via, Kafr Batna Coordinators Facebook)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia is not known to have publicly released any information relating to its airstrikes in Syria between December 9th and December 14th 2015.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20–50
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS462

Incident date

January 26, 2016

Location

جرجناز, Jarjanaz, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.617076, 36.783132 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between four and five civilians including one child and three women died in airstrikes on Jarnaz, according to local sources. Five sources alleged that Russia was responsible, but a fifth – the Violations Documentation Center – blamed the Assad regime.

Syria 2011 said that four died and a number were wounded when rockets were fired from Russian battleships, but provided no further information.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee also put the death toll at four, including three women, and blamed Russian warplanes.

Syrian News Desk said that three civilians were injured in addition to the four that died – and also attributed the attack to Russia.

Shahba Press reported that Russian airstrikes killed at least five civilians.

According to Alsouria, three non-combatants died when Russia fired vacuum missiles, which also destroyed parts of residential buildings.

However, the Violations Documentation Center named four civilians – three women and one child – as killed in regime airstrikes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Mariam Hasan al-Hosain
Child female killed
Mariam Omer al-Hosain
Adult female killed
Mariam Ahmad al-Hosain
Adult female killed

The victims were named as:

Maha Mahdi al-Mkahta
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (1 child3 women)
  • 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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

In its military report published on 1st February 2016, the Kremlin said: “In the course of the last week, the Russian aircraft in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 468 combat sorties engaging 1354 terrorists’ infrastructural facilities in the Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Raqqah, Daraa and Deir ez-Zor provinces. Among them – 24 ones were carried out by Tu-22M3 long-range bombers from the Russian territory,” but makes no mention of strikes in Idlib.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (1 child3 women)
  • 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

RS494

Incident date

January 28, 2016

Location

الصالحية, Al Salhiya, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

34.7133253, 40.7575607 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five non-combatants reportedly died and several others were wounded in an alleged Russian airstrike near the entrance to the the town of Al Salhiya, according to Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently.

No further details are currently available.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • 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]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

In its military report published on 1st February 2016, the Kremlin said: “In the course of the last week, the Russian aircraft in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 468 combat sorties engaging 1354 terrorists’ infrastructural facilities in the Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Raqqah, Daraa and Deir ez-Zor provinces. Among them – 24 ones were carried out by Tu-22M3 long-range bombers from the Russian territory…Long-range bomber aviation aircraft supported units of the Syrian governmental troops which defended the city of Deir ez-Zor. The airstrikes carried out by Tu-22M3 bombers from the territory of the Russian Federation jointly with tactical aviation from the Hmeymim airbase, engaged 23 important terrorists’ objects in that district. The attempt of terrorists to assault Deir ez-Zor was frustrated.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • 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

RS558

Incident date

February 7, 2016

Location

عندان, Anadan, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.29353, 37.04466 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between three and five civilians died in alleged Russian airstrikes on Anadan, according to local sources. The victims included members of a family who had returned to Anadan to bury their two children killed in a strike on Kafr Hamra on February 7th, listed above.

The Shaam News Network reported that five were killed and others injured in an alleged Russian airstrike on Anadan. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “several citizens (most of them are from one family) were killed and injured in a bombing by warplanes believed to be Russian on the Anadan area in the northern countryside of Aleppo during the burial of two of their children, who were also killed by warplanes this morning when they targeted Kafr Hamra area northwest of Aleppo city.“

Halab Today also put the death toll at five and blamed Russia as did Aleltihad Press, which  reported that the city had been hit badly in the previous five days by Russia, resulting in more than 40 deaths including women and children.

Shahed Ayyan Halab gave the following testimony: “A family from Anadan decided to flee to the town of Kafr Hamra to escape the intense shelling in the Anadan City, the Russian Aviation targeted Kafr Hamra. There were two  martyrs – children from the families from Kafr Hamra. The family returned to Anadan to bury their children and were targeted again by Russian airstrikes. The rest of the family were among the dead and wounded.”

Radio Al Kul put the death toll lower, at three civilians.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

From February 4th – February 11th, Russia reported: “In the course of the last week, February 4-11, aircraft of the Russian aviation group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 510 combat sorties engaging 1,888 terrorists’ objects in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, Homs, Hasakah and Raqqah.” It added: “Two powerful field commanders were liquidated in the Aleppo province.In the suburbs of Kalaz-Tahtani, a large illegal armed group with its commander, “Abu Maher” (“Farid Al-Misri”) was eliminated by an airstrike.The field commander “Abu Anas Al-Sham” from the Jaysh al-Sham terrorist group was liquidated in the territory of the same province.” It also said that “Russian aviation eliminated open ISIS oil storages in the Aleppo province.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS761

Incident date

April 23, 2016

Location

الكماري, Kamari, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.0449004, 36.9331169 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to five civilians including three children died in airstrikes on Kamari, Aleppo, according to multiple sources – though sources are conflicted as to whether this was the work of Russia or the Assad regime.

A tweet by Jabalybarra (an Al Jazeera-affiliated photographer in Aleppo) said a child was killed in the Al-Salheen neighbourhood: “Reports says he was killed while eating. A first aider was also thought to be killed on the same strike.” He did not say who was responsible.

A video posted by the Mohammed Al-Halabi YouTube channel showed the “aftermath of the Russian and regime airstrikes on Al Mash-had neighbourhood“. According to the Shaam News Network, three children from the same family died in Russian raids on the Kamari neighborhood.

However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed the regime for the death of the three children.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Amoneh Mohammad al-Nawaf
Adult female
Ayham Mohammad al-Nawaf
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (3 children1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • A child victim of the raids targeting Kamari, Aleppo (via Jabalybarra tweet)
  • Aftermath of the raids targeting Kamari, Aleppo (via al-Nahar)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

The Kremlin has issued no public accounts of airstrikes in Syria from April 1st – 30th.

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
  • (3 children1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]