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)

Belligerent
Russian Military
Country
Syria
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Incident Code

RS1194

Incident date

August 27, 2016

Location

دارة عزة, Daret Izza, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.28247, 36.85216 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to five civilians died and eight others were wounded in airstrike son Daret Izza, according to local media – though it was unclear whether Russia or the Syrian regime were responsible.

The Smart News Agency reported that “Russian warplanes launched two air missiles on a residential area in the town of Darat Izza morning, killing five civilians and wounding eight others, according to the transfer of civil defense”.

The Syrian Civil Defense reported that Daret Izza was hit with “three consecutive strikes, followed by two Balistic rockets”.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights – who blamed the Assad regime for the attacks – Taha Shawkat Al Helo was a media activist. Other sources also reported that this was the case, with some further reports also listing Imad Ali Shaaban as a media activist. However, one source, All4Syria, reported that both men were ”militants”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Imad Ali Shaaban
Adult male some sources call him a media activist, others name him a militant killed
Taha Shawkat Al Helo
Adult male some sources call him a media activist, others name him a militant killed
Ahmed Mohiuddin Hamou
Age unknown male named by VDC killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (2–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–8
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

  • Taha Shawkat Al Helo, 22 years old, a media activist, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Deret Izza. (via, SN4HR)
  • Ahmed Mohiuddin Hamou, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Deret Izza. (via, VDC)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Imad Ali Shaaban, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Deret Izza. (via, VDC)

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 August 20th – 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
    3 – 5
  • (2–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–8
  • 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

RS1323

Incident date

September 23, 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

Four or five civilians were killed in alleged Russian raids on the Kafr Hamra neighborhood of Aleppo. Four civilians were named by HNN, including two children and a woman.

The first three civilians were also mentioned by name by @NewsFlashAleppo. Microsyria said that attacks by Russian planes “martyred three civilians from one family.” @HalabTodayTV, tweeting on the same day as the attack, said many were “wounded and trapped under the rubble.” @Syriamubasher tweeted that three were killed and “several” wounded. SNHR also reported that two children and a woman were killed.

A White Helmets YouTube video showed a small child, covered in dust, being pulled from the rubble. Qasioun News said five were killed in the attack.

@thiqanewsagency posted a photograph of a building completely destroyed by bombing. Their tweet said five were wounded.

Almost every source claimed Russian war planes were responsible for the bombing. For instance, @eldorar1 referred to Russian warplanes, while Al Jazeera used the phrase “Russian aviation.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Muhannad Rajab al I’lo
Child killed
Rayan Rajab al I’lo
Child killed

The victims were named as:

Khuloud Mohammad Barghoud
Age unknown killed
Mohammad Ali Dwalibi
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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 (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian child pulled from the rubble by The White Helmets in Kafr Hamra following suspected Russian shelling, Sept 23rd (Youtube via The White Helmets)
  • Significant material destruction in Kafr Hamra - the impact of suspected Russian bombardment, Sept 23rd (via @thiqanews agency)
  • A distressing image of a baby - pulled from the rubble in Kafr Hamra. Revealing the human cost of alleged Russian warplane shelling (via Alsharq)

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 – 5
  • (2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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 (27) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1586

Incident date

November 15, 2016

Location

عندان, Anadan, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

According to multiple local sources Russia carried out airstrikes on Anadan, northern Aleppo. The remaining sources did not identify a culprit and mentioned only “warplanes”.

Almaghrib Today said “there were no reports of civilian casualties”, moreover all other sources but one did not report civilian deaths.

LCCSY said five died and “a hospital was put out of service due to Russian airstrikes on Anadan and Atarib cities”. However, due to signifcantly more reporting on civilian harm in Atarib, November 15th, it is likely the five were killed in Atarib and not Anadan.

No further details are currently available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Smoke plumes rose above Anadan following suspected airstrikes, November 15th (via Thiqa Agency)

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown
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.

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1736

Incident date

December 4, 2016

Location

حي الفردوس , Al Fardous neighbourhood, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

Local media reported that a mother and her three children died in Aleppo’s Al Fardous neighbourhood. The majority of sources blamed a Russian airstrike, however, there was also a claim that a tank shell caused the deaths.

Husseintalal reported that “a baby girl lost her father, mother and brothers by aerial bombardment of the Russian occupation of Al – Fardous district by Aleppo”

Abu Alhoda said that a mother and her three children died, and published a graphic image of the three dead children.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights posted a picture of a “man crying after his wife died, along with her three children, when suspected Russian warplanes missiles fired on Al Ferdous neighborhood in Aleppo city, December 4.”

But SyriaMubasher reported that a tank shell fell on the neighbourhood, killing the family.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (3 children1 woman1 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, Unknown

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    'Russian warplanes bombard the Firdous district of Aleppo and kill a family of a mother and three of her children'
  • A man cries over the body of his wife, killed alongside his three children, in an alleged Russian airstrike on Al Fardous, Dec 4th (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 specific strikes between December 1st – 31st 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.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (3 children1 woman1 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, Unknown

Sources (13) [ 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

RS2254

Incident date

May 24, 2017

Location

محيميدة, Mheimediya, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.44294, 40.08619 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between three and five civilians, including one to two children and one woman, were killed and others were wounded in alleged Russian or Assad regime airstrikes against the village of Mheimidiya in the western suburb of Deir Ezzor, according to local sources.

Three of the civilians killed were reportedly from the Mohammed al-Abar family and were killed when the airstrikes struck their two-story house. In a Euphrates Post report, their estimate of three killed was acknowledged to be an initial toll following the airstrikes.

The majority of sources, including Zaman al-Wasl and Syrian Network for Human Rights, identified regime planes as responsible for the casualties in Mheimidiya. However, another source, Ahmad al Shibli twitter (@7UFCmSxd0IUBffH), blamed Russia for carrying out the airstrikes.

Additional sources, including Shaam Network, did not specify whether Russia or the regime was responsibe and instead identified both regime and Russian planes as perpetrating bombings in the area. In addition to striking civilian homes, the airstrikes also destroyed a number of shops.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Najah Moheisen al-Abbar
Age unknown female killed
Son of Muhammad al-Issa al-Abbar
Child male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (1–2 children1 woman)
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (15) [ 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

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (1–2 children1 woman)
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2494

Incident date

September 22, 2017

Location

سرجة, Sarja, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.5816284, 36.9212293 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between three and five civilians were killed and “dozens” more  were injured in alleged Russian airstrikes against the town of Sarja in rural Idlib South, local media reported. Some sources said that the strikes originated from Russian ships in the Mediterranean, while others pointed to warplanes.

Idlib Media Centre reported “the death  of three martyrs and dozens of wounded as a result of the bombing of Russia aircraft carrying out 10 strikes in the outskirts of the town of Sarja in Jabal al-Zawia”.

Al Latamna Youth Group put the death toll at five and also blamed Russia.

According to Al Aan TV, “nine civilians were killed and others were wounded, including children and women, as a result of the bombing by Russian warplanes and boats in the Mediterranean of cities and towns of the southern countryside of Idlib.”

Other sources, including the Violations Documentation Centre, published names of non-civilians who were killed. The Step News Agency noted that “a Russian air raid targeted the headquarters of Souqour al Sham in the town of Siraj in Jabal al-Zawiya, killing four of its members and injuring six others.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Image of a victim of the alleged Russian airstrikes against Sarja on September 22nd, 2017 (via Al Latamna Youth Facebook)
  • An alleged Russian airstrike hits Sarja, Sept 22nd.
  • A strike hits Sarja, Sept 22nd.
  • Translation: "The targeting of civilian houses in the village of Siraja by vacuum and concussion bombs, resulting in 5 civilian martyrs and a large number of wounded"
  • Translation: "more than 15 injuries as a result of the targeting of the village of Sarga by Russian air and ballistic missiles."

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]