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

RS1168

Incident date

August 19, 2016

Location

الحويقة, Howeqa, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.342102, 40.14576 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian male died and up to dozens more were wounded in an alleged Russian airstrike on Howeqa.

The Smart News Network reported that “One civilian was killed and others were injured” in a Russian strike.

According to @SYRIAEVENT1 “dozens” were wounded in addition to one death.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mumtaz Mhaidi al-Badran
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Mumtaz Mhaidi al-Badran, killed in an alleged Russian strike on Howeqa, Aug 19th (via VDC)
  • Mumtaz Mhaidi al-Badran, killed in an alleged Russian strike on Howeqa, August 19th (via Abedullah Darwesh)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

On August 19th 2016, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation reported that, "at 10:55 in the morning, the Zeliony Dol and Serpukhov small-sized missile ships of the Black Sea Fleet during the combat maneuvering performed 3 launches of cruise missiles Kalibr from fire positions in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea against facilities of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist grouping in Syria.
As a result, a command centre and a terrorist base near the Dar-Taaza inhabited area as well as a plant manufacturing mortar munitions and a large depot with armament were destroyed in the Aleppo province. The objective monitoring data confirmed the elimination of the planned targets." They added that allegedly "for the security of civilians, the flight path of the cruise missiles was planned over uninhabited territories".

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1233

Incident date

September 6, 2016

Location

معر شورين, Maarshorine, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.6675976, 36.7290564 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian died in Maarshorine, a village in the southern countryside of Idlib, according to numerous reports. Multiple sources, including @edlepnews and Alamawi, alleged Russia culprit.

LCCSY said that “a young man was martyed” due to the strikes. The source reported a qualitative similarity between the strike on Maarshorine and earlier strikes on Maardibsa which it described as “Russian airstrikes with vacuum missiles”.

Reports that did not apportion blame referred only to “warplanes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

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

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS1796

Incident date

December 11, 2016

Location

Sarqib, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.859101, 36.797731 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A girl was seriously wounded in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Sarqib, Aleppo. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame, some attributing responsibility to Russia and others the Syrian regime.

According to a source the girl was trapped under the rubble for eight hours. She died of her wounds on the 27th.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Fatima al-Korini
Child female killed

Summary

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

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Fatima al-Korini, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Sarqib, 11th December 2016. (via @SN4HR)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Fatima al-Korini, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Sarqib, 11th December 2016. (via EMC)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Sarqib, for which the generic coordinates are: 35.859101, 36.797731. 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.”

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 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

RS2001

Incident date

March 21, 2017

Location

خان شيخون, Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.440813, 36.6493607 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child was reported killed and potentially another injured – though it is unclear whether it is the same child, in an alleged Russian airstrike on Khan Sheikhoun, according to local media sources. 

All known sources for this incident attribute responsibility to Russian warplanes.

The Violations Documentation Center in Syria named the child who died in the attack, listing the cause of death as “warplane shelling” from “Russian troops”.

Smart News Agency were the only other source to mention civilian harm; it reported that “a child was wounded following russian raids on Khan Sheikhoun”. It is not clear whether these sources are referring to the same child or not. 

@Mobark1000 tweeted further details of the attack, stating that the Russians attacked with cluster bombs and that there had been six raids in 15 minutes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mariam al-Azraq
Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child, Mariam al-Azraq, killed in an alleged Russian airstrike, 21st March 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 March 1st – 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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

RS1973

Incident date

March 15, 2017

Location

معرة مصرين, Maarat Misrin, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

36.012172, 36.6730499 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A woman was killed and other civlians were wounded in an alleged Russian raid on property in Maarat Misrin, local media reported. All sources either attributed blame to Russia, or blamed unknown warplanes.

According to Syrian-mirror, the wounded were taken to nearby medical points where they were treated for their injuries.

Step news agency specified that there were two raids on the neighborhood.

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Zlikha Ballouri
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • 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 (14) [ 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 March 1st – 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2429

Incident date

September 11, 2017

Location

بلدة الطريف , bank of the Euphrates, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.524315, 39.898996 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed and others were injured when warplanes bombed the bank of the Euphrates in al Tareef in western Deir Ezzor Governorate on 12th September 2017, local media reported.

Multiple sources, including the Syrian Human Rights Committee, identified the martyr as Ahmad Al Salama Al-Hamad.

It is unclear which belligerent was responsible for the shelling, but Russian forces, the Syrian regime and its militias were reportedly active in the area at the time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmad Al Salama Al-Hamad
Age unknown male killed

Summary

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

Sources (4) [ 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)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Unknown

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2816

Incident date

December 26, 2017

Location

رسم العيد, Rasim Al-Abid, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

34.97812, 37.384662 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An adult male was killed, and others were wounded, when alleged Russian warplanes struck Rasim Al-Abid camp for Internally Displaced Peoples. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame, with many blaming Russia but some blaming the Syrian regime.

One source states that the bombardments by Russia were “hysterical” with as many as 25 consecutive strikes.

Syrian Press Centre reported only wounded civilians. They also blamed both Russia and the Syrian regime.

Sources reported that tents were damaged in the raids.

@HalabTodayTV reported that “four civilians were killed and others injured by aerial bombardment on the villages of Rasim Al-Abed, Um Muwailat and Al-Mahatta farm in the countryside # Idlib”. All other sources reported that there was only one casualty in Rasim Al-Abid camp.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammad al-Ziab
Adult male killed

Summary

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

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Mohammed al-Ziab, killed in airstrikes on Rasim Al-Abid camp, 26th December 2017. (via Wasel Aldiab News)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

The Russian Ministry of Defence announced being active in unspecified parts of Syria until December 11th, 2017.

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)
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS038

Incident date

October 13, 2015

Location

تل سلطان, Tall Sultan, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.799040, 36.991370 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Violations Documentation Center named an adult male from the town of Tel Azzan as having been killed in a Russian airstrike on a school building in nearby Tel Sultan, which also reportedly injured two.

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Younes Eid al-Yawer
Adult male from Tel Azzan killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • 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 attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village Tall Sultan (تل سلطان) , for which the generic coordinates are: 35.799040, 36.991370. 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

For October 12th-13th 2015, Russia reported a number of strikes in Idlib governorate: ” In the course of the last 24 hours, Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25SM aircraft performed 88 combat sorties engaging 86 ISIS facilities located in the Raqqah, Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo provinces.”

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • 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 attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (6) [ collapse]