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

RS3585

Incident date

February 9, 2019

Location

حريتان, Hraytan, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

An eight year old child was killed and his two brothers injured when cluster munition exploded in the city of Hraytan north of Aleppo. Local sources reported that the cluster munition was a remnant of earlier Russian or regime shelling.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said that the cluster bomb had been dropped by “the Syrian-Russian alliance” – though most other sources pointed solely to Russia.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said “The child Ibrahim Jaqlan was killed on February 9th, in the explosion of a cluster munition of remnants of previous shelling by Syrian- Russian alliance forces on Hraitan town in Aleppo governorate northern suburbs.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ibrahim Jaqlan ابراهيم جقلان
8 years old male killed
Brother of Ibrahim Jaqlan شقيق إبراهيم
Child male injured
Brother of Ibrahim Jaqlan شقيق إبراهيم
Child male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Child wounded by a cluster bomb explosion alleged to have been leftover from a previous Russian airstrike (via SCD Aleppo).
  • Child wounded by a cluster bomb explosion alleged to have been leftover from a previous Russian airstrike (via SCD Aleppo).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Child killed by a cluster bomb explosion allegedly leftover from a previous Russian airstrike (via SCD Aleppo).

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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1890

Incident date

February 11–12, 2017

Location

بنش, Binnish, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.958429, 36.711587 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian was killed in alleged Russian airstrikes against the city of Binnish. The Violations Documentation Center identified Russian planes as responsible for the airstrikes while the other sources did not name a culprit.

There were conflicting reports given on when the airstrike against Binnish occured. According to the Violations Documentation Center, the victim of the airstrike, Ali al-Naser, was killed on February 11th while the Syrian Human Rights Committee reported that he was killed on February 12th.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ali al-Nasser
Adult male Born in Sfaireh killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2312

Incident date

June 29, 2017

Location

جديدة بكارة, Jadida Bakara, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.243656, 40.366945 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One adult male died, and ” a number of others” were wounded, in an airstrike on Jadida Bakara desert, according to local media. Almost all sources blamed Russian shelling for the civilian casualties, however, two sources did not apportion blame.

Euphrates Post reported that “Hammadi Aboud al-A’tish (civilian) was killed in a military air strike which targeted the village of Jadida Bakara”.

Free DeirEzzor also reported the death “in addition to the wounding of a number of civilians”. 

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Hammadi Aboud al-A’tish
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Hammadi Aboud al-A’tish, killed in an airstrike on Jadida Bakara, 29th June 2017. (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 June 1st – 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3698

Incident date

May 15, 2019

Location

أم النير, Um Nair, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

A civilian male was killed in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Umm Nair in Jabal Shashbwa on May 15th, according to local sources.

Justice Organization wrote that “civilian Shadi Muhammad Al Omair was killed by the bombing of the regime’s helicopters with explosive barrels on the village of Umm Nair in Jabal Shahshabo in the southern countryside of Idlib.”

Suriye.u.a.d, however, reported a civilian death as the result of Russian airstrikes on the town.

Most sources, including the Syrian Network for Human Rights, blamed the Syrian regime for the airstrikes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Shadi Muhammad Al Omair "شادي محمد العمير
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Translation: "Civilian Shadi Muhammad Al Omair was killed by the bombing of the regime’s helicopters with explosive barrels on the village of Umm Nair in Jabal Shahshabo in the southern countryside of Idlib" (via Justice Organization).

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3719

Incident date

May 26, 2019

Location

أم زيتونة, Um Zaytouna, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

One civilian was reported killed and others injured following an airstrike on Um Zaytouna, Idlib, on May 26th.

Syrian Network for Human Rights named the man killed as Ayman al Hassan. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that “Ayman al Hassan was killed as Syrian regime fixed- wing warplanes carried out a strike using machine guns on Um Zaytouna village in west of Khan Sheikhoun city in Idlib governorate southern suburbs, on May 26th.”

Three sources attributed the strike to the Syrian regime, while Smart News Agency did not positively attribute blame, and Syrian Civil Defense referred to both “the Russian occupation of the cities and towns of rural Idlib” and regime forces.

Smart News Agency tweeted: “Killed and wounded civilians following aerial bombardment by warplanes and helicopters on the village of Um Zaytouna south of Idlib.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ayman al Hassan ايمن الحسان
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Ayman Al Hassan was killed in an airstrike on Um Zeiytona in Idlib on May 26th, 2019. (Via Abd Al Qader Al Bakri )

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
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS363

Incident date

January 11, 2016

Location

ابطع, Abtaa, Dara'a, Syria

Geolocation

32.79283, 36.15175 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed in an airstrike on Abtaa, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – though it is unclear whether Assad regime or Russian forces were responsible.

The Observatory reported that regime forces bombed the town of Abtaa in the northern countryside of Dara’a, and that this was followed by raids by warplanes “believed to be Russian on areas in the town“. It said one person died and others were wounded.

VDC later named Khalil Deifallah Abo Kanoun (pictured) as later dying in Jordan from wounds sustained in the attack, though blamed the regime. 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

 Khalil Deifallah Abo Kanoun
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Khalil Deifallah Abo Kanoun, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid on 11th January 2016. (via, VDC)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Khalil Deifallah Abo Kanoun, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid on 11th January 2016. (via, VDC)

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 11-15 January.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2933

Incident date

January 22, 2018

Location

الغدفة, Ghadfa, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.6742, 36.79058 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A young man was killed and an unspecified number of others were wounded in airstrikes on Ghadfa, according to local media. Sources all attributed the blamed to Russian warplanes.

It is unclear whether the victim was a child or an adult male.

According to Syrian Network for Human Rights (SN4HR), a high school in al Gharbi neighbourhood was struck with missiles and cluster bombs which caused damage to the fence and parts of the school building. SN4HR was the only source to report that the school was struck.

Later on SN4HR published an image of an unexploded cluster bomb was found in the agricultural lands surrounding al Gharbi.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (0–1 children0–1 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • An un-exploaded cluster bomb in the aftermath of airstrikes on Ghadfa, 22nd Jan 2018. (via SN4HR)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (0–1 children0–1 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS523

Incident date

February 2, 2016

Location

تمورة, Tamoura, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.26389, 36.88847 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed and five others injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on Tamoura, according to Shaam News.

SNN reported that Russian warplanes targeted “Hayyan, Ratyan, Bayanoun, Tamoura and Maarastah Khan with 150 raids focused mostly on civilian homes causing the martyrdom of one civilian and injuring more than five others in Tamoura.”

The Violations Documentation Center initially listed Mustafa Eleiwi as a victim of Russian shelling, but the entry for him was later removed. The Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies did list Eleiwi as killed by “indiscriminate shelling” by Russian planes. The website All4Syria also reported the death of Eleiwi, aged 35, and the injuries of “several other civilians” as a result of Russian airstrikes.

The Baladi Media Network reported “Martyrs and wounded” in both Tamoura and Hayyan as a result of shelling from Russian warplanes.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mustafa Eleiwi
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • 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 published no known record of strikes in Syria from February 1st – February 3rd.

Summary

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

Sources (4) [ collapse]