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

RS844

Incident date

June 3, 2016

Location

كفر حمرة, Kafr Hamra, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.255362, 37.087714 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and five civilians died in an air or artillery strike on Kafr Hamra, according to local sources – though reports are conflicted as to whether Russia or the Syrian regime were to blame.

The Shaam News Network, reported on alleged Russian raids with warplanes and helicopters across Aleppo and its surrounding countryside. It said that this coincided with “violent artillery shelling“, killing five civilians in the Kafr Hamra neighborhood.

Orient news also blamed Russia, putting the death toll at one.

According to Alaraby, a “warplane thought to be Russian launched missile on kafr Hamra and killed a civilian and injured seven.”

Baladi put the death toll at five killed and said that buildings were also destroyed in the alleged Russian strike.

However, according Alamawi, regime warplanes were responsible, for carrying out raids in “Andan and Kafr Hamra, English Qabir Al Englizee in rural North of Aleppo.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abd al Wadoud Hanno
Age unknown male His name was released as part of a list of victims 20 days after the attack on Kafr Hamra. The video alleged he died on June 3rd, following Russian action. killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 5
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Video from June 23rd, in which a civilian named Abd al Wadoud Hanno is listed killed 20 days ago. At 1:47. (Youtube by HalabToday)

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 June 1st – 31st 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 – 5
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS4067

Incident date

August 22, 2019

Location

دير الشرقي, Deir Al Sharqi, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.603718, 36.738955 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians were reported killed in alleged Russian and/or regime airstrikes on Deir Al Sharqi, Idlib, on August 22nd, 2019.

Step Agency reported that “Russian and Syrian warplanes targeted [a number of locations], and five civilians were killed in Deir Sharqi”.

Two other sources documented the airstrikes, including Macro Media Center which reported that “warplanes [threw] full loads on the outskirts of Deir Al-Sharqi village of Idlib countryside’, yet did not cite any casualties. No other sources mentioned casualties.

According to various sources, Omar Bin Abdulaziz Mosque in Al-Deir Al-Sharqi was struck in the bombing.

A tweet from @Ahmad_1alshble referred to barrel bombs as being used in the airstrikes while a tweet from @Step_Agency mentioned vacuum missiles striking Deir Al Sharqi.

Many of the sources referred to Russian forces as responsible for the strike. However, a tweet from @Ahmad_1alshble blamed regime planes for carrying out the attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1725

Incident date

November 29, 2016

Location

حي الميسر, Al Mayssar neighbourhood, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

Between three and five civilians died in alleged Russian air or artillery strikes on Aleppo’s Al Maysar neighbourhood, according to sources on the ground. Several sources reported the use of cluster bombs.

On November 29th, Shof reported: “Activists said cluster bombs targeted the neighborhoods of Qatraji, al-Myaser, Dhahra Awwad and Al Mouasalat. The civil defense in Aleppo said about 700 civilians were killed in the bombing as part of a large-scale offensive launched by the regime and backed by militias two weeks ago.”

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, there were at least three victims of “rocket-propelled” weapons in the Al Maysar neighbourhood. The source didn’t identify the culprit.

But AleppoAMC said five civilians died in air and artillery strikes.

Anapress said that both Russian and Syrian warplanes had carried out strikes on the neighbourhood.

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
    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]

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 specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 2016.

On 6 January 2017, Russia, however, reported: “Since November 8, 2016, the aircraft carrier group of the Northern Fleet consisting of the heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Severomorsk, as well as auxiliary vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, has been fulfilling counterterrorist missions on the territory of Syria”, adding that ”in the course of two months of their participation in the combat actions, naval aviation pilots have carried out 420 combat sorties, 117 of them were night ones.”

Additionally, Russia reported that its air forces have carried out strikes in Aleppo during November and December 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
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1937

Incident date

March 3, 2017

Location

تدمر, Palmyra, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.569294, 38.291216 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In this single-source incident, the Smart News Agency “that five dead and 14 wounded, including women and children, arrived at the al Tabaqa hospital”. It said they had died in a bombing by “military aircraft” on Palmyra’s eastern desert – and went on to say that the culprit was likely to be Russia.

It is unknown whether the victims were struck on the same day as they arrived at the hospital

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1–2 children1–2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    14
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

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.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1–2 children1–2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    14
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2155a

Incident date

April 22, 2017

Location

احسم, Ihsim town, Al Zawiya mountain, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.7205935, 36.555888 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians were killed – including a child – and others were wounded, when un-exploded cluster bomb remnants from a previous strike detonated in Ihsim town, Al Zawiya mountain, Idlib, local media said. Only the Shaam News Network reported that Russian warplanes were responsible for the initial shelling; all other sources did not attribute any blame.

The shelling occurred in southern Idlib near the Lebanon boarder according to AMC.

Smart news reported that the bomb was an RPG, however Syrian Mirror reported it was an un-exploded cluster bomb.

The civil defence went to the scene and worked to secure it and transfer the victims to safety.

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Abdo Mahmoud El Oyoun
Age unknown male killed
Mustafa Khaled El Oyoun
Age unknown killed
Ali al - Jazzar Abu Yazan
Adult male killed
Son of Ali al - Jazzar Abu Yazan
Child male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (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 (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 April 1st – 31st 2017.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (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 (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2394

Incident date

August 19, 2017

Location

حمادة عمر, Hamada Omar, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.025374, 37.423313 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that four or five civilians were killed, including four young men from the same family, and others were injured, following an airstrike on Hamada Omar. All sources blamed Russian warplanes for the raid.

According to the Shaam News Network, “Activists said four young men from the al-Haj Ahmad Saad al-Din al-Hamoud family were killed and other members of the family were injured as Russian warplanes bombarded their home with several rockets.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Man from the al-Haj Ahmad Saad al-Din al-Hamoud family 1
Adult male killed
Man from the al-Haj Ahmad Saad al-Din al-Hamoud family 2
Adult male killed
Man from the al-Haj Ahmad Saad al-Din al-Hamoud family 3
Adult male killed
Man from the al-Haj Ahmad Saad al-Din al-Hamoud family 4
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (4 men)
  • 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 (4) [ 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 specific strikes between August 1st - 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (4 men)
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2956

Incident date

February 1, 2018

Location

سراقب, Saraqib, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.859101, 36.797731 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to five members of the Civil Defence were killed and several were left wounded, local media reported, following alleged Russian or Assad regime shelling of the Civil Defence Center in Saraqib, Idlib.

Several local media reported that the Civil Defence Center had been struck, described by the Civil Defences’ Twitter as “heavy shelling”.

The same source said that the strikes killed four members of the Civil Defence.

Meanwhile, Zaman al-Wasl reported that “Yesterday [February 1st], the cities and towns of the eastern and southern suburbs saw intensive shelling of civilian homes and civilian defence centres, leaving five dead, including volunteers of the civil defence.”
It is, however, not clear from Zaman al-Wasl’s report how many of these victims were killed in the strike on the Civil Defence Center, or in the other strike that also hit Saraqib the same day (described in RS2757).

Most of the sources reported about “several wounded” and all as members of the Civil Defence.

Finally, among all the sources who attributed blame, all pointed to Russian warplanes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 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

Russia has not reported any strikes between February 1st - 28th 2018.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 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

RS342

Incident date

January 4, 2016

Location

الباب, Al-Bab, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.371972, 37.51631 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians were killed and several others injured in alleged Russian and/or Assad regime airstrikes on Al Bab, according to local sources.

The Shaam News Network produced two reports on the alleged incident. The first report put the death toll at two and an unspecified number of wounded, while the second report said five civilians were killed in addition to “casualties”.

The Daesh agency Al A’maq blamed Russia. However others claimed Assad regime helicopters had also participated in the attacks.

According to the VDC, Farouk Bakeer – a White Helmet volunteer – died in al-Bab on January 4th, though it attributes his death to an Assad regime airstrike. All 4 Syria blamed Russia, noting; “Activists said Russian warplanes raided Daesh-occupied al-Bab four times, targeting Osama bin Zaid Mosque and a field hospital in the city, and causing the deaths of five civilians according to a preliminary toll, including a civil defense worker  called Farouk Bakir. In addition a number of civilians were wounded.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Farouk Bakeer
Adult male White Helmet volunteer killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 man)
  • 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 report for military actions on January 11 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Aleppo governorate: “In the course of 10 days of the year 2016, the Russian aircraft have performed 311 combat sorties engaging 1097 objects in the Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, Daraa, and Raqqah provinces.“

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 man)
  • 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]