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

RS254

Incident date

December 10, 2015

Location

كفر زيتة, Kafr Zita, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.37425, 36.6033 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three adult males were reported killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on Kafr Zita.

The victims were named by the VDC.

While most described the trio as civilians, one tweet said they were rebel fighters with the group Ajnad al Sham.

Reporting remains confused, with multiple alleged Russian airstrikes on Kafr Zita between December 9th and 12th which resulted in a likely total of six civilian deaths.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Ahmad Mohammad al-Aboud
Adult male killed
Mustafa Emad al-Aboud
Adult male killed
Mahmoud Ahmad al-Aboud
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Video with sound footage of airstrikes falling on Kafr Zita. (via, Revolutionary Command Counter)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Deceased body of Ahmad Mohammad Al A’bboud, following an alleged Russian and Syrian Regime airstrike. (via, The Syrian revolution in the town of Kafr Zita)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The bodies of three adult males. This tweet suggests that the deceased are Islamist Militants. The tweet states that "Ajnad al Sham" announces the death, which is the name of an Islamist Militant Group. (via, Husain)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Kafr Zita (كفر زيتة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.37425, 36.6033. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown
Official source

Russia is not known to have publicly released any information relating to its airstrikes in Syria between December 9th and December 14th 2015.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS287

Incident date

December 17, 2015

Location

الباب, Al Bab, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

Between four and nine civilians were reported killed and 2 to 25 injured in an airstrike on Al Bab, according to multiple sources – though it is unclear whether regime shelling or Russian warplanes were responsible for the attacks.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that four non-combatants were killed and several others injured when warplanes “believed to be Russian” struck areas in Al Bab city in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo.

The IS agency Al A’maq stated that there had been four Russian raid which killed nine non-combatants and wounded 25. The Shaam News Network also put the death toll at nine.

But the Syrian Network for for Human Rights blamed regime shelling for the casualties, reporting that at least four civilians were killed.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 9
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–25
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Al Bab (الباب), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.371972, 37.51631. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown
Official source

No Russian reports were published for December 16th-18th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 9
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–25
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS319 CS159

Incident date

December 26, 2015

Location

الرقة‎, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.949949, 39.007363 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The IS-linked agency Al A’maq posted a video showing destruction in the city following reported airstrikes

Local monitoring group Raqaa is Being Slaughtered suggested the attack may have been the work of the US-led Coalition: “Warplanes targeted with seven missiles on Friday night the area of February 23rd Street in Raqqa city center. This resulted in injuries and the loss of a number of civilians, as well as the destruction of shops. The strike coincided with intensive reconnaissance flights, and the sound of explosions in the northern rural areas were likely to have been raids by the international Coalition.”

Photos published on IS media showing the destruction caused in the area blames Russian ‘crusader’ planes for the strikes.

In its July 2017 report the Coalition said it had not conducted any strikes in the near vicinity, and classed the event as non credible: “Dec. 26, 2015, near Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report: After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Wife of Taj Khattab al Mattar
Adult female killed
Daughter of Taj Khattab al Mattar
Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 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
    Unknown, US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Massive damage to Raqqa's February 23rd Street following a Coalition or Russian airstrike. (via, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered)
  • A photograph of some destroyed buildings in Raqqa. (via, Raqqa Post)
  • Destruction in the streets of Raqqa in the aftermath of the contested raid. (via, Raqqa Post)
  • Damaged infrastructure in Raqqa after a raid. (via, Raqqa Post)
  • A view of the aftermath of the raid. (via, Raqqa Post)
CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m

Civilian casualty statements

Unknown
  • Jul 7, 2017

  • "Dec. 26, 2015, near Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report: After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties."

Original strike reports

Unknown
Official source

For December 25th-28th, Russia has reported that “In the course of three days, since December 25, the Russian aviation group has performed 164 combat sorties engaging 556 terrorists’ objects located in the Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqah provinces.”

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For Dec 25th-26th, the Coalition reported: "Near Ar Raqqah, one strike [British] wounded an ISIL fighter."

For 26th-27th: " Near Ar Raqqah, two strikes destroyed three ISIL excavators, two ISIL bulldozers, and damaged an ISIL excavator."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 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
    Unknown, US-led Coalition

Incident Code

RS351

Incident date

January 7, 2016

Location

سفلانية, Suflaniyah, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.40929, 37.57825 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Six non-combatants – three named women and three children – died when Russian warplanes allegedly fired missiles on the village of al Saflaneh in the eastern suburbs of Aleppo, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

The Damascus Centre for Human Rights Studies additionally named Sweilem Ahmed, a child, as also having died from “the indiscriminate shelling of the Russian Air Force.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Laian Mohammad Raslan
Child female “due to Russian air forces shelling“ killed
Nour Mohammad Raslan
Child male “due to Russian air forces shelling“ killed

The victims were named as:

Samiha Abdo Rostom
Adult female “due to Russian air forces shelling“ killed
Mahdia Ahmad al-Barho
Adult female “due to Russian air forces shelling“ killed
Rana Jihad Ramo
Adult female “due to Russian air forces shelling“ killed
Sweilem Ahmed
Child named by The Damascus Centre for Human Rights Studies killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (3 children3 women)
  • 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

In its report for military actions on January 11 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Aleppo governorate: “In the course of 10 days of the year 2016, the Russian aircraft have performed 311 combat sorties engaging 1097 objects in the Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, Daraa, and Raqqah provinces.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (3 children3 women)
  • 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

RS383

Incident date

January 13, 2016

Location

نوى, Nawa, Dara'a, Syria

Geolocation

32.89044, 36.0399 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were killed when helicopters dropped barrel bombs on Nawa, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. While the Network blamed the regime, the Observatory did not say who was responsible.

According to the Revolutionary Forces of Syria, the town experienced a joint ground and air assault: “Russian aircraft and regime forces targeted Nawa city with aerial bombardment and barrel-bombs, simultaneous with shelling by regime forces on the outskirts of the city by heavy artillery missiles and rocket launchers.”

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohamed Samir Rezzig Al Khebay
Age unknown male named by Martyr Hossam Ayash Centre killed
Mohammad Shaukat al Tawbah
Age unknown male named by Martyr Hossam Ayash Centre killed
Ghassan Mohammad Abo Al Sell
11 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Ghassan Mohammad Abo al-Sell, killed by an alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid. (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
    3
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS415

Incident date

January 17, 2016

Location

دير جمال, Dayr al Jamil, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.4451, 37.02787 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child died in an alleged Russian airstrikes on Dayr Jamal, according to local sources.

One female child,died when “suspected  Russian warplanes” fired missiles on the town of Dayr Jamal on January 17th, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

A third source, Shahed-ayan, also named her as killed as a result of Russian strikes.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Nour Mohammad Al Nasser
10 years old female The VDC named her as male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

In its report for military actions on January 19 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Aleppo governorate: “In the course of the last four days, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 157 combat sorties engaging 579 objects of terrorists’ infrastructure in the provinces of Aleppo, Raqqah, Latakia, Homs, Hama and Deir ez-Zor.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS449

Incident date

January 22, 2016

Location

أم حوش, Umm Hawsh, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.41168, 37.21252 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source, Thefreesyria.org, named two civilians killed when Russian warplanes allegedly bombed a road near the village of Umm elhosh in the Aleppo countryside.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights Tweeted an image of the child Sarah and said she died when warplanes launched several missiles near the village, though they did not identify the planes.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Bushra Khadr Hwail
Age unknown named by Thefreesyria.org, from Homs – Palmyra killed
Sarah Moatasem Barakat alMutlak
Child female named by Thefreesyria.org, from Homs – Palmyra killed

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Sarah Moatasem Barakat alMutlak, killed by an alleged Russian raid on Umm Hawsh. (via, SN4HR)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

In its military report published on 25th January, the Kremlin said: “In the course of the last three days, January 22-24, aircraft of the Russian aviation group in the Syrian Arab Republic performed 169 combat sorties engaging 484 objects of terrorists’ infrastructure…crews of Tu-22M3 long-range bombers performed 18 combat sorties from the territory of the Russian Federation in order to engage manpower and hardware of the ISIS near Deir ez-Zor on January 22-24. Flight range reached more than 2,000 kilometers.“

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS1645 RS2645

Incident date

October 17, 2017

Location

Abu Kamal, Al Masriya roundabout, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.440995, 40.927527 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between eight and nine civilians died in an airstrike on the al Masriya roundabout in Abu Kamal, according to local media – though sources at the time were conflicted as to whether the US-led Coalition or Russia was responsible.

In September 2019 the Coalition accepted responsibility for this incident. Its monthly civilian casualty report noted: “Coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike against a Daesh headquarter building. Regrettably, two civilians were unintentionally killed as a result of the strike.” Nine months later, the Pentagon declared this to have been a US action.

According to Sharqiya Voice at the time of the event, there were “dozens of martyrs and wounded in the city of Abu Kamal as a result of the bombing of warplanes at al Masriya roundabout a short while ago.”

Step News Agency pointed towards the Coalition, reporting that eight civilians died in a strike on trucks and shops near the al Masriya roundabout.

However, Euphrates Post attributed the event to Russia, reporting that nine died and dozens more were wounded when Russian planes struck a gathering of cars and food warehouses near the roundabout.

The Smart News Agency also blamed Russian jets, as did Baladi and Souriatna Press.

According to Marsad al Hassaka, airstrikes targeted the warehouse of Fayez Hamid Al-Alaw at dawn.

A former player with the Al-Fatwa Club was named as one of the victims.

According to a post on the Our Abu Kamal facebook page, eight civilians died, of which three were Iraqis, four from Deir Ezzor and one a local martyr.

In May 2020, in its annual civilian harm report to Congress, the Pentagon conceded this to have been a US military action.

The incident occured during the night.

The victims were named as:

Mr. Khalil Ibrahim
Adult male via Alhasaka Arabea killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 9
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–36
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • A picture of Khalil Ibrahim, a former player of Al-Fatwa Club, killed in the massacre of the city of Albu Kamal on Tuesday, Oct 17th, 2018 (via Euphrates Post)
  • A picture reveals the destruction following an airstrike on the city of Albu Kamal on Tuesday, Oct 17th, 2018 (via Sound and Picture)
  • Table from May 2020 Pentagon report to Congress, conceding additional US civilian harm events in Iraq and Syria during 2017.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention strikes in the area of Al Masriya roundabout (المصریة), for which the coordinates are: 34.442177, 40.923112, and the Al Alswaiya bridge (السوبعیة) located at these coordinates: 34.440986, 40.929233. Satellite imagery available to Airwars from Oct. 01, 2017 shows structural damage to a building in the area, for which the coordinates are: 34.440995, 40.927527 Coordinates released by the Coalition place the event at 34.45615, 40.91601

  • Reports of the incident mention strikes in the area of Al Masriya roundabout (المصریة), and the Al Alswaiya bridge (السوبعیة). Satellite imagery available to Airwars from Oct. 01, 2017 shows structural damage to a building in the area.

    Imagery:
    © 2018 Google

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    No reason given
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    2
  • Stated location
    in Abu Kamal, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU760144
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 26, 2019

  • October 17, 2017, in Abu Kamal, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike against a Daesh headquarter building. Regrettably, two civilians were unintentionally killed as a result of the strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For October 17th-18th, the Coalition reported: “Near Abu Kamal, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two VBEID factories and an ISIS headquarters.“

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 9
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–36
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (18) [ collapse]