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
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure
text search
146 Results
sort by:
Sort by:
Incident date
Civilian deaths alleged
Civilian deaths confirmed by belligerent

Incident Code

R4546

Incident date

August 26, 2023

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr al-Shughur, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On the morning of August 26th, artillery shells allegedly fired by the regime forces and Russia hit the city of Jisr al-Shughur, west of Idlib, injuring at least one civilian and causing material damage to residential neighborhoods and the Abdul Rahman Al-Nasser School. The bombardment also fell in the vicinity of the Rabaa Al-Adawiya School and a mosque under construction, without any damage reported.

The Syrian Civil Defense confirmed the civilian casualty, stating that the city “was subjected to aerial bombardment previously, shortly before children started arriving to it to participate in a summer club that is being held in it.” The Syrian Network for Human Rights corroborated this information, additionally noting that the “area is under the control of armed opposition factions and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.” A tweet from @alladyanyaslam2 stated a civilian was “slightly injured”, while @sawarqi47568 mentioned civilian casualties, without specifying a number.

Multiple sources on twitter and local media attributed the strikes to the regime forces and Russia, although it is unclear which of the belligerents was responsible.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Religious Institution, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]

  • Damage caused by shelling of Jisr al-Shughur on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Damage caused by shelling of Jisr al-Shughur on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Damage caused by shelling of Jisr al-Shughur on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Damage caused by shelling of Jisr al-Shughur on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by Syrian Network for Human Rights)
  • The mean regime's hatred of civilians in Jisr al-Shughour
  • The regime forces shelled the city of Jisr al-Shughour with artillery
  • Damage caused by shelling of Jisr al-Shughur on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @alladyanyaslam2)
  • Damage caused by shelling of Jisr al-Shughur on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @alladyanyaslam2)
  • Damage caused by shelling of Jisr al-Shughur on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @alladyanyaslam2)
  • Damage caused by shelling of Jisr al-Shughur on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @alladyanyaslam2)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Religious Institution, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4586

Incident date

October 6, 2023

Location

أريحا, city of Ariha, south of Idlib, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On the evening of Friday, October 6th, 2023, residential neighborhoods of the city of Ariha located south of Idlib, Syria, were subject to an artillery bombardment with contested responsibility— reportedly perpetrated by the Syrian regime forces and/or the Russian military— that injured two civilian men, one of whom later died of his wounds.

One of civilians, Ismail Saleh Qaddad, reportedly suffered a fatal serious head injury. The other individual, Ahmed Mustafa Baroudi, sustained a foot injury. The Syrian Civil Defense reported the casualties both as civilians. Journalist Ahmed Bakour shared images of the severely injured Ismail with blood covering his eyes being treated by doctors and of Ahmed where his leg injury can be seen.

Tariq Jama wrote a Facebook tribute to Ismail Qaddad who died of his injuries on October 7th, 2023, mentioning that “He moved to the mercy of God Almighty” and sharing an image of the middle-aged bearded man in a kufiya.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, was involved in rescue operations, including the evacuation of a civilian who was injured and stranded on the roof of a residential building. According to the SCD, the intense and continuous bombing in the Idlib countryside has significantly heightened fear among residents, leading to such dangerous situations.

While the strike was attributed to the Syrian regime forces by most sources, some tweets attributed it to Russian military.

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Ismail Qaddad اسماعيل قداد
Adult male killed
Ahmed Mustafa Baroudi أحمد مصطفى بارودي
Adult male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SyriaCivilDefe

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Journalist Ahmed Bakour Home

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Journalist Ahmed Bakour Home
  • Source: Tariq Jama

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4456

Incident date

Location

الباره, Al Bara, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

A woman was injured in an alleged missile strike by Russian or Syrian regime forces in the Al Bara district in Jabal Al Zawiya in southern Idlib on August 6th, 2022.

The woman’s injuries were not specified though @RadioAlKul tweeted that she was “slightly injured” whereas all other sources reported that she was injured without further elaboration. The Syrian Civilian Defence also posted that a fire broke out in a civilian household as a result of the strike but did not specify whether it was the woman’s house.

@​​AlkneterOthman and @ZaitunAgency reported that the artillery shells were launched by “pro-Assad forces” and the Syrian Civilian Defence noted that Russia and the Assad regime were responsible for the strike.

The incident took place at some point during the day as the photographic evidence showed that it was daylight outside. It occurred in Al Bara in the countryside in southern Idlib.

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
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • One woman was injured in a contested Russian and Syrian regime artillery strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via SCD / Facebook)
  • One woman was injured in a contested Russian and Syrian regime artillery strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via SCD / Facebook)
  • One woman was injured in a contested Russian and Syrian regime artillery strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via SCD / Facebook)
  • One woman was injured in a contested Russian and Syrian regime artillery strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via SCD / Facebook)
  • Syrian regime or Russian missile attack in Al Bara on August 6th 2022 reportedly left one woman injured (Image via @anasanas82 / Twitter)
  • One woman was allegedly injured after a Russian or Syrian regime strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via @ezaldeen_98 / Twitter)

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
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4492

Incident date

November 21, 2022

Location

معربليت, Maarbelet, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

A 35 year old man was injured by alleged Syrian regime or Russian artillery shelling of the outskirts of the village of Maarbelet on November 21, 2022.

The @SyriaCivilDefe reported that a man was injured while working on agricultural land by artillery shelling carried out by the Syrian regime and Russian forces on the outskirts of the village of Maarbelet. The Civil Defense added that a woman also suffered a nervous breakdown from the shelling.

@HalabTodayTV reported that the injury was suffered by a civilian.

A Facebook post by Rasheed Alosman identified the civilian injured as Yasser Muhammad Sheikh Hussein, age 35, with an image showing an injury to his leg.

Pro-regime source @idleb_online tweeted that the Syrian regime army launched artillery shelling against “terrorist sites”  without specifying casualties.

Sources were conflicted as to whether Russian or the Syrian regime were responsible, with @Almohrar1 attributing the shelling to Russia while Shaam News blamed the Syrian regime.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Yasser Muhammad Sheikh Hussein ياسر محمد الشيخ حسين
35 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Artillery shelling of outskirts of the village of Maarbelet on November 21, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of the injury suffered by Yasser Muhammad Sheikh Hussein when Russian or Syrian regime forces shelled the village of Maarbelet. (Image posted by Rasheed Alosman via Facebook)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4528

Incident date

July 9–10, 2023

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr Al Shughour, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Around midnight between Sunday July 9th and Monday July 10th 2023, the residential neighborhood of Jisr al-Shughour in west Idlib was reportedly shelled by Syrian regime and/or Russian forces, resulting in the injury of two civilians, father and his daughter. It is unclear if the female victim is a child or an adult woman.

Adel Hijazi and his daughter Yasmine Hijazi were slightly injured as they sat in their living room when shrapnel penetrated the walls of their house. They were both treated and Adel was taken to hospital by the Syrian Civil Defence. According to the Syrian Civil Defence, a family was evacuated from a house near the point of impact and the affected area was secured. Civilian homes and cars were damaged and destroyed in this dense residential area.

Some sources, including the Syrian Civil Defence, identified the belligerents as Syrian regime and Russian forces. Al-Jazeera and a few other sources, including Orient News, identified regime forces as the only belligerents. The local news site Zaman al-Wasl identified the belligerents as regime forces and Iranian militias stationed in “Jourin” camp. @mzmgr941 reported 6 Russian and 2 coalition reconnaissance planes in the sky that night.

One tweet from Adnan Jawish claimed some of the injuries were “serious cases” while others described the injuries as mild.

Zaman al-Wasl identified the location of the shelling as the northern neighborhood, and the “Soma’a” roundabout in the center of the city of Jisr al-Shughour.

The Syrian Civil Defence and Radio Al Kul both reported a third man who “swallowed his tongue out of fear”. However, it was not clear what was meant by this and he was not reported as injured.

The son of the injured father, also called Adel, described the way smoke, dust and screams had filled the living room where he and his family were sitting when the bomb hit. He also described how the family’s birds were silent the next morning, when they normally sing. He concluded by saying “but life began to go on, and we continue our lives and live the hope that the bombing stops and the life of instability ends one day.”

The incident occured around midnight.

The victims were named as:

Adel Hijazi
Age unknown male injured
Yasmine Hijazi
Age unknown female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]

  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The first moments of our teams' response to artillery shelling targeted the city of Jisr al-Shughur, west of Idlib, just before midnight today, Monday, July 10, which caused the injury of a man and his daughter, and another man who swallowed his tongue out of fear.
  • Assad's militia shells the city of Jisr al-Shughour with artillery, leaving a number of wounded
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Adel Hijazi and his daughter were injured as a result of artillery shelling by Assad's gangs on the city of Jisr Al-Shughour
  • Remnants of a shell and smoke from alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @mzmgr941)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4575

Incident date

October 5, 2023

Location

الموزرة, Al-Mozra in Jabal Al-Zawiya, to the south of Idlib, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

In the village of Al-Mozra in Jabal Al-Zawiya to the south of Idlib, Syria, a man was killed and a number of civilians were injured from an alleged Syrian regime and/or Russian and/or Iranian artillery bombardment on Thursday, October 5th, 2023. Al-Mawza Facebook user posted a video showing bombardment of the village.

The person killed in the strike was identified as Haji Mahmoud Al Younes from the village of Qaqfin according to the activist Abdullah Idlabi and the Resilient Al-Zawiya Mountain (the Free of Al-Zawiya) Facebook posts, where image of Mahmoud being transported on a stretcher could be seen. It was also initially reported by Mount Al-Zawiya Al-Samud Facebook account that the man had been injured, but apparently he later died of his injuries. This account also shared a video where a number of men tried to carry his body that was previously lying on the ground.

Al-Muharrer Media Network, Orient and Twitter/X user @MohamadDaba9966 also reported a number of wounded people from the artillery shelling of Al-Mozra, without providing a specific number.

While most of the sources reported the strike was committed by the Syrian regime fources, a journalist Ahmed Rahhal and a Twitter/X user @Xd60euW24gEtWPp alleged that escalation came from Iranian and Russian forces too.

Since the sources identified different belligerents as being responsible for the strike, Airwars has classified both Strike Status and Civilian Harm Status as Contested.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mahmoud Al Younes محمود اليونس
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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, Iranian Military

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mount the corner withstand
  • Source: Sarmin today
  • Source: Sarmin today

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @Xd60euW24gEtWPp
  • Source: @mustafakh1997

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

Iranian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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, Iranian Military

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4426

Incident date

December 11, 2021

Location

الجديدة أو اليعقوبية, Al Jadida or Al Yaqoubia, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Between one and three civilians, including a child, were killed and 12 to 15 others, including up to nine children and four women, were injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on the town of Al Jadida or Al Yaqoubia on December 11, 2021.

According to Syrian Civil Defense, three people, including a child, were killed and 13 others, nine children and four women, were injured in Russian airstrikes near the town of Al-Jadida.

Shahba Press reported the location as being the town of Al-Yaqoubia and quoted a local source who said that the two Russian raids resulted in the death of three people and the wounding of 12 others, including women and children. Step News added that the injuries were of various degrees of severity.

Fact News and @thiqanewsagency provided a lower death toll of one civilian killed while Ugarit Post put the number of injured people at “about 15”.

Syrian Network for Human Rights identified two of the victims of the strikes as a man from Kafrta village in Jabal al Akrad in the suburbs of Latakia, named as Mustafa Ali Khadrou, and his child son Muhammad. Both were killed in the attack on Al-Jadida.

Activists told Shaam News that “Russian air strikes targeted the house of the leader “Abu Muslim al-Shishani” known as “Abu Muslim the Chechen”, the leader of the “Jund Allah” faction, in addition to an immigrant of Turkish nationality, and the homes of Syrian civilians residing in the area, displaced from Latakia countryside to the outskirts of the village of al-Jadida” Shaam also provided the toll that the bombing led to the death of three civilians, including a child, and wounding 13 civilians, 9 children and 4 women.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights pointed out that “Abu Muslim al-Shishani” was not killed in the attack. A tweet from @thawraa_syr mentioned that sons of Abu Muslim and his wife were injured.

Fact News reported that there was significant material damage caused by the airstrikes and Zaman Al Wasl referred to “widespread destruction”, especially since the town included a large number of displaced people.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to Russia. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights identified three thermobaric rockets as being used in the attack by Russian jets while Fact News referred to vacuum missiles. Zaman Al Wasl specified that the plane responsible for the airstrikes was a Russian Sukhoi-35 warplane.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Mustafa Ali Khadrou
Adult male from Kafrta village in Jabal al Akrad in the suburbs of Latakia killed
Muhammad, son of Mustafa
Child male from Kafrta village in Jabal al Akrad in the suburbs of Latakia killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–15
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (39) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • White Helmets with one of the children injured in alleged Russian airstrikes near the town of Al-Jadida on December 11, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • White Helmets with the body of one of the victims killed in alleged Russian airstrikes near the town of Al-Jadida on December 11, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • White Helmets with the body of one of the victims killed in alleged Russian airstrikes near the town of Al-Jadida on December 11, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • White Helmets with the body of one of the victims killed in alleged Russian airstrikes near the town of Al-Jadida on December 11, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • The moment the Russian planes bombed the vicinity of the town of Al-Yaqoubia with missiles on December 11, 2021. (Image posted by Edlib Media Center)
  • The Russian plane that bombed the vicinity of the town of Al-Yaqoubia with missiles on December 11, 2021. (Image posted by Edlib Media Center)
  • Mustafa Ali Khadrou, and his child son Muhammad, killed in alleged Russian airstrikes on Al-Jadida won December 11, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Network for Human Rights)

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the villages of Al Jadida (الجديدة) and Al Yakoubia (اليعقوبية). Analyzing audio-visual material from sources, Airwars has narrowed down the location to these exact coordinates: 35.929334, 36.31337.

  • Tagged visual evidence from sources.

    Imagery:
    المرصد المدني

  • Distribution of tags in available satellite imagery.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–15
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (39) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4467

Incident date

September 8, 2022

Location

الغفر, Al Ghafir, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

An alleged Russian air raid injured five civilians using surface-to-surface missiles loaded with cluster bombs in Al Ghafar in Idlib province on September 8th, 2022. The Syrian Civil Defense (SCD) reported that 5 civilians were injured and that the strikes killed dozens of goats and sheep owned by a local shepherd and farmer. The strikes also caused substantial infrastructural damage according to Baladi news. There were no further reports of civilian harm.

Furthermore, the SCD pictured the surface-to-surface missiles used that were 9M79 Tochka that carried 9N24 cluster bombs which “don’t explode and turn into time bombs”. The attack took place in the late morning as four warplanes took off from the Russian Hmeimim base at 10:22 and first struck in Hafsarja before moving on to Al Ghafar, a small village in the Sahel al-Roj plain, west of Idlib. There were more than 10 consecutive air strikes. Additionally, the incident took place near an internally displaced persons camp in the area.

The incident was first reported on September 8, 2022 at 10:30 am by .

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Baladi posted an image of the missile in Al Ghafar
  • @SyriaCivilDefe tweeted a photo of the missile which hit Al Ghafir area on September 8th 2022 (Image via Twitter)
  • Image via @rana_alassad / Twitter of location of alleged Russian strike in Al Ghafir
  • Russian warplanes allegedly hit Al Ghafir on September 8th 2022 (Image via @tommycats4 / Twitter)
  • Russian warplanes allegedly hit Al Ghafir on September 8th 2022 (Image via @HammamGhazzawi / Twitter)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (13) [ collapse]