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

RS1318

Incident date

September 23, 2016

Location

المعادي, Al Ma'adi, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1914827, 37.1630799 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two or three civilians were killed in the al Ma’adi neighbourhood of Aleppo on September 23rd by a bombing raid, local sources reported. Reports were conflicted as to whether Russia or the Assad regime was to blame. Halab News Network said three civilians died and named two of them.

Extremely graphic photographs from @AleppoAMC showed at least two different dead bodies being removed, and another body wrapped in a rug. The report also mentioned “several wounded.”

@syriapost1 stated that barrel bombs were dropped. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, two of the fatalities were children.

Although some sources, such as @Lccsy and @Sy_Reporter, said Russian aircraft were responsible, according to @SyrianArwad, the aircraft involved included four planes and three helicopters, a report which All4Syria and Almjhar corroborated.

The strikes were reportedly part of a larger campaign against Aleppo, which All4Syria said included over 100 strikes within a couple hours.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Amjad Bilal
Age unknown male killed
Abdallah Khawja
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Images of wounded and dead caused by the airstrikes carried out by either Russian or Syrian warplanes in al-Ma'adi, Sept 23rd (via Aleppo AMC)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1350

Incident date

September 25, 2016

Location

حي طريق الباب, Tareeq al-Bab (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.207438, 37.1990204 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between ten and 18 civilians were reportedly killed in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the Tareeq al Bab neighbourhood of Aleppo.

IranArabSpring also reported the death of one man as a result of cluster bombs and posted a picture of him.

LCCSY reported ten civilians dead and others wounded.

Syrian Press Center added that cluster and phosphorus bombs were used in the attack.

According to Alsouria, regime helicopters also carried out strikes, while the Shaam News Network noted “swarms of Russian and Assad aircraft” in the Aleppo skies.

Halab News listed the named of four victims, noting that 14 more were unidentified.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Maysar Mohammad al Hassan
Age unknown killed
Zakaria Azizi
Age unknown killed
Hassan Dashan
Child killed
Rama A’jjouri
Child killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 18
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The child Hassan Dashan died in alleged Russian shelling on Tareeq al Bab, September 25th (via @IranArabSpring)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 18
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1382

Incident date

October 2, 2016

Location

Hraytan, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.287032, 37.08332 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians including a child died in an alleged Russian airstrike on the village of Hraitan outside of Aleppo, according to sources on the ground.

The illegal use of cluster bombs was mentioned by several media, while all sources identified Russia as the culprit.

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammed Mokhalalati
12 years old male killed
Ahmad Hajj Hassan
20 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Mohammed Mokhalalati, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian raid. (via, Hamedredwan)

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 October 1st – 19th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1416

Incident date

October 8, 2016

Location

Rasim al Eis, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

35.994645, 36.999917 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to two civilians were killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on  Rasum al Eis village in Aleppo, according local media. The strikes also reportedly wounded a number of people, including children.

Most sources put the death toll at one. For example Halab Today said that “one person was martyred and three children were wounded and their houses burned as a result of warplanes shelling with cluster bombs in Rasim Al-Eis”.

But Syrian Press Center – who also blamed Russia – said that two people perished.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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 (7) [ 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 October 1st – 19th 2016.

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS1448

Incident date

October 13, 2016

Location

حي بستان القصر, Bustan al Qasr (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.19569, 37.14229 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 10 and 51 civilians including an entire family died and up to 30 more were wounded in an airstrike on Aleppo’s Bustan al Qasr neighbourhood, according to source son the ground. The majority of reports blamed Russia for the incident, though the Shaam News Network said that regime warplanes also carried out strikes in Aleppo on this day.

Al Jazeera was among sources blaming Russia and put the death toll at 26 people. However, Micro Syria said that 50 had died including eight women and nine children, with dozens more wounded. The highest death count was given by Toufi11q082 who tweeted that 51 died, people who were “dreaming of a country but were slaughtered in front of the whole world”.

Multiple sources listed the A’njarini family as killed. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, “a family died in suspected Russian forces shelling on Bustan Al Qasr neighbourhood in Aleppo city in October 13… The girls Lojain and Malak who were Taekwondo players died, along with their father Mohammad Anjarini, a Taekwondo instructor, and his wife”.

Syrian News network claimed that “Russian warplanes shellings in Aleppo killed more than 15 civilians including Mohammed Enjrini, with his two daughters Lujain and Malak, and his wife Alya’a Bassot and her fetous as she was pregnant, and only one child of his family was still alive”.

But the Shaam News Network noted regime strikes Aleppo on this day, meaning that the civilian harm could have been caused by regime jets. SNN said that “Assad and Russian enemy planes launched intense strikes using all sorts of weapons including bunker busting missiles, cluster bombs, phosphorous and vacuum missiles, on Aleppo and its countryside leading to the fall of buildings over residents’ heads. This resulted in 11 martyrs in the Bustan al Qasr neighbourhood”.

On Facebook, Fouad Hallak reported that “Captain Mohammad A’njarini [Abu Hassan] a taikwando teacher was killed with his wife and two daughters [Lajeen and Malak] following warplane shelling the of Bustan al Qasr neighbourhood in Aleppo this morning [Oct 13th]. His son Hassan who was sleeping at his grandfather’s house and survived.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Mohammad A’njarini
Adult male named by Halab News killed
Wife of Mohammad A’njarini, Alya’a Bassot
Adult female pregnant named by Halab News killed
he child Malak A’njarini
Child named by Halab News killed
The child Lajeen A’njarini
Child named by Halab News killed

The victims were named as:

Ahmad Raslan
Age unknown named by Halab News killed
Abu Tawfiq
Age unknown named by Halab News killed
Kawthar Ibrahim
Child named later by Fouadhallak89 killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 51
  • (3–9 children1–8 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17–30
  • 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 (31) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Mohammed Enjrini, with his two daughters Lujain and Malak, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Bustan al Qsar. (via All4Syria)
  • Mohammed Enjrini, with his two daughters Lujain and Malak, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Bustan al Qsar. (via Shabah Revolution)
  • Lujain and Malak, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Bustan al Qsar. (via SN4HR)
  • Image depicting the damage to civilian homes in the aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Bustan al Qsar, Oct 13th (via Fouadhallak89)
  • Image depicting the damage to civilian homes in the aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Bustan al Qsar, Oct 13th (via Fouadhallak89)
  • Image depicting the damage to civilian homes in the aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Bustan al Qsar, Oct 13th (via Fouadhallak89)
  • Mohammed Enjrini, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Bustan al Qsar. (via Fouad Hallak facebook)

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 October 1st – 19th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 51
  • (3–9 children1–8 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17–30
  • 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 (31) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1480

Incident date

October 18, 2016

Location

Bariha, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.150000, 40.270000 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Province/governorate level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and four civilians died and five more were wounded in an alleged Russian airstrike on Bariha village, according to local media.

Euphrates Post, Sound and Picture and 7al all blamed Russia.

A number of other sources didn’t identify the warplanes that carried out the attack.

Euphrates Post put the death toll at four, while other sources said that two had died.The former also reported the use of cluster bombs in this instance.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (9) [ 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 October 1st – 19th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1512

Incident date

October 31, 2016

Location

Al Sheikh Ali, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.09694444, 36.9125 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians died and up to three more, including children, were wounded in an alleged Russia airstrike on Al Sheikh Ali town, according to sources on the ground.

The White Helmets reported: “Russian warplanes targeted the town of al Sheikh Ali in the western Aleppo countryside with vacuum missiles which led to the death of two people and the serious injury of two children. The civil defence is working on removing the martyrs from under the rubble and tending to the wounded.”

@SRG_Syria put the number of wounded at three.

While several sources named Russia as the culprit, a number didn’t identify the warplanes responsible.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

On 20th October 2016, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation reported on the decisions made aimed towards stabilising the situation in Aleppo.

""Today, strikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Air Force are finished at 10:00 (MSK) in the area of Aleppo. Early termination of the airstrikes is essential for holding a “humanitarian pause” on October 20, 2016”, said General of the Army Sergei Shoigu. According to him, it will allow to guarantee security of civilians leaving the city through 6 humanitarian corridors and to prepare casualty and medical evacuation from the eastern part of Aleppo.
“We apply to the leadership of countries influencing on armed formations active in the eastern part of Aleppo with a proposal to convince their leaders to stop warfare and leave the city,” stated the Minister of Defence.
According to General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, by the start of the “humanitarian pause” the Syrian troops will have been withdrawn to the distance safe for insurgents to leave the city with weapons through two special corridors: one – along the Kastello road, second – in the area of Suk al-Hai market."

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS1789

Incident date

December 12, 2016

Location

كفر يحمول, Kafr Yahmoul, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

36.058952, 36.697254 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as two civilians were killed, and three others were wounded, in an airstrike which struck Kafr Yahmoul, Idlib, local media reported. Most sources blamed Russian warplanes for the alleged raid, with some others not attributing any blame for the airstrikes, and simply reporting on warplane bombing. 

According to some sources, the victim was a female child; she was also named and a graphic image of her was published.

Other sources, however, reported a woman was killed.

@AleppoAMC reported that rockets struck the vicinity. 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Raghd Shahoud
Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Raghd Shahoud, killed in alleged Russian airstrikes on Kafr Yahmoul, 12th December 2016. (via @Mendeshor)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Kafr Yahmoul (كفر يحمول), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.058952, 36.697254. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]