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

RS315

Incident date

December 25, 2015

Location

منبج, Manbij, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.52815, 37.95495 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One to two civilians were reported killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on Manbij, according to the Violations Documentation Center.

It named one adult male, Osama al-Halak, as killed due to “Russian airforce shelling in Manbij.” An additional male child, Mustafa Ghazal, is also listed as a victim of a Russian strike in Aleppo on December 25th, though no specific location is given.

The SHRC also named 27-year old Khalid Asaad Hussein from Al Saffira, noting “He died from his injuries from bombing by the Russian offensive on the city of Manbij.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Osama al-Halak
Adult male killed
Mustafa Ghazal
Child male killed
Khalid Asaad Hussein
27 years old male The SHRC named Hussein, who was from Al Saffira, “He died from his injuries from bombing by the Russian offensive on the city of Manbij.” killed

Summary

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

There were no published Russian reports for strikes in Syria on December 24th-25th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (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

Incident Code

RS763

Incident date

April 24, 2016

Location

المواصلات, Al Mowasalat (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.2188989, 37.2510338 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians including one woman and one child died and eight others were injured in airstrikes on Al Mowasalat in Aleppo, according to local sources – though some were unclear as to whether this was a Russian or regime incident.

Smart News agency published a video showing the aftermath of an alleged Russian strike in which three died including a woman and a child and more than eight were wounded. The footage includes interviews: Hussein from the neighboorhood said that “this is a civilian area and yet the Russians have bombed it.” Abu Yahya, a paramedic said “this is a civilian area and there are not armed groups here. The place which was targeted is a school for children and children were inside playing, what are they shooting at?”

A video by Halab news agency said two or three civilians died and more than five were injured in “regime and Russian airstrikes,” while a tweet by Baladi showed “the effects of destruction in Russian shelling Al-Mowasalat“.

Shaam News Network said that regime and Russian warplanes killed several people including children. The Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed the Assad regime and reported that “at least” a woman and a child had been victims of the regime shelling.

Two victims were listed by the VDC as killed in “warplane shelling” by “Syrian government and affiliated militias“:

Unidentified – child, male

Unidentified – adult, female

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–8
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

  • Video of the immediate aftermath of the contested strikes targeting al-Mowasalat, Aleppo (via Halab News Network)
  • Aftermath of the contested airstrikes targeting al-Mowasalat, Aleppo (via Baladi Network)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting al-Mowasalat, Aleppo (via Baladi Network)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

The Kremlin has issued no public accounts of airstrikes in Syria from April 1st – 30th.

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
    2 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–8
  • 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

RS3895

Incident date

July 12, 2019

Location

معرة النعمان, Ma’ret Al Nu’man, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Three civilians including two children were reported killed and up to eight others injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime forces on Ma’aret Al-Nu’man on July 12th, 2019 according to local sources.

One of the victims, a child, was identified as Ammar Muhammad Al-Hassoun, aged 12. Another source named him Ammar Mohammed Hassan Almshish.

Alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes struck the cities of Idlib, Ma`ra al-Nu’man and Ariha in the north of Idlib, killing a combined total of six civilians including three children and two women and wounding up to 40.

Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed Syrian regime forces and reported that “Syrian regime fixed-wing warplanes fired missiles on houses near al Khair Bakery in Ma’aret al Numan city in Idlib”. The source reported that at least three civilians were killed, including two children.

According to @ShahbaPress, a child was killed and an elderly man in addition to 11 wounded civilians as a result of the raids that were carried out in the morning. Step News claimed that attack on the town was carried out with rockets.

The Syrian Civil Defense forces, who were at the scene, claimed that  four airstrikes struck the town in the morning and killed two children while seven others including three children were wounded.

@Step_Agency claimed that among the two killed was one child. In a separate post, the source added that eight people were wounded.

 

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Ammar Muhammad Al-Hassoun عمار محمد الحسون
12 years old male or Ammar Mohammed Hassan Almshish killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1–3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–8
  • 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 (35) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Syrian regime fixed-wing warplanes fired missiles on houses near al Khair Bakery in Ma’aret al Numan on July 12th (via Syrian Network for Human Rights).
  • Airstrikes struck the town of Ma'arat al-Nu'man in rural Idlib in the morning of July 12th (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • Video: Warplanes target residential neighborhoods in the city of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib countryside, leading to martyrs and wounded civilians.
  • Martyrs and wounded as a result of the regime's air strikes targeting the neighborhoods of the city of Maarat Al-Nu`manز
  • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Syrian regime targeted cities in northwestern Syria, on Friday, with airstrikes that killed three people in Idlib and three in Maarat al-Nu`man, two of the largest cities in the region.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A displaced child from eastern Hama countryside was killed by the bombing.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Ammar Mohammed Hassan Almshish, aged 12 or 13, was reported killed in raids on Ma'aret Al-Nu'man on July 12th, 2019. (via @so_ria98).

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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1–3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–8
  • 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 (35) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2766

Incident date

November 27, 2017

Location

العباس و هجين, Al-abbas-Hajeen, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.6897222, 40.83 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians including two brothers were killed in airstrikes on Al-abbas-Hajeen, according to local media. Sources all attributed the blame to Russia except Syrian Network for Human Rights who blamed the Syrian regime.

The raids allegedly struck al-a`bbas water tunnel, leading to three deaths and four wounded civilians.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Malek Dahham Dakhil
Adult male killed
Raouf Dahham Dakhil
Adult male killed
Abd Talal Hussein Al-Lok
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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 (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Victim of airstrikes in Al-abbas-Hajeen, 27th Nov 2017. (via Marsad Alhasaka)
  • Victim of airstrikes in Al-abbas-Hajeen, 27th Nov 2017. (via Marsad Alhasaka)

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 type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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 (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS4016

Incident date

August 13, 2019

Location

الصالحية, Al Salehiya, Idlib , Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to three children were reported killed and their father injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime night airstrikes on Al Salehiya, Idlib, on August 13th. A woman was also reported killed in the attack, and it is unclear whether she is related to the victims’ family.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Step Agency reported that “two children and a woman were killed in Al Salehiya village south of Idlib after raids by Russian warplanes.”

Meanwhile, Syria Civil Defense and Shabab4lattamena documented “the martyrdom of three children and the injury of their father, Abdul Razzaq Khalid Nasser in the northern countryside of Hama, due to the aerial bombardment of Salehiya village in the southern countryside of Idlib.”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights also reported that those killed were three brothers, writing that “three children brothers, IDPs from Latmin village in the northern suburbs of Hama governorate, were killed as warplanes we believe were Russian fired missiles on al Salehiya village in the southern suburbs of Idlib governorate, on August 13th.”

Other sources stated that “a number were wounded” in the airstrike.

Sources predominantly attributed the attack to Russian forces, however, a number named both the Syrian regime and Russia in reports of the incident.

The incident occured during the night.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Abdul Razzaq Khalid Nasser عبد الرزاق خالد الناصر
Adult male injured
Child of Abdul Razzaq Khalid Nasser طفل عبد الرزاق خالد الناصر
Child killed
Child of Abdul Razzaq Khalid Nasser طفل عبد الرزاق خالد الناصر
Child killed
Child of Abdul Razzaq Khalid Nasser طفل عبد الرزاق خالد الناصر
Child killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (2–3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (21) [ collapse]

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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (2–3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (21) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1296

Incident date

September 21, 2016

Location

حي المشهد, Al Mashad (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1834027, 37.1369648 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported that one to three civilians died and as many as ten more were wounded in an airstrike on Aleppo’s Al Mashad neighbourhood. This event looks to have been carried out by helicopters belong to the Assad regime. There were no allegations against Russia, though some sources referred to unidentified “warplanes”.

Photographs from @RFS_North and @step_agency showed extensive building damage, and a Step News Agency video depicted one body being pulled out of the rubble.

@AleppoAMC tweeted about an unspecified number of wounded “after regime helicopters struck with four explosive barrels.” Step News claimed two barrel bombs were dropped.

At least one child was wounded, according to @baladinetwork.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • 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]

  • Footage of the mass destruction of buildings al Mashhad, Aleppo, caused by airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia (via Baladi News)
  • Footage of the mass destruction of buildings al Mashhad, Aleppo, caused by airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia (via Baladi News)
  • White Helmets rescuing civilians out from under the rubble, following the airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via White Helmets)
  • Civilians in the aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via Step News)
  • Civilians in the aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via Step News)
  • Civilians in the aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via Step News)
  • Aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by either the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via RFS_NORTH)
  • Aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by either the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via RFS_NORTH)
  • Aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by either the Syrian regime or Russia in al-Mashad, Aleppo (via RFS_NORTH)
  • Aftermath of the contested airstrikes on the city of al-Mashad (via Step News Agency)

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
    1 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • 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

RS1405

Incident date

October 4, 2016

Location

الموحسن, Mohassein, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.2257487, 40.3109038 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to three civilians including a mother and her child died in an alleged Russian airstrike on Mohassein in Deir Ezzor, according to sources on the ground.

According to Deir Ezzor 24, “Russian warplanes targeted civilian homes with cluster bombs of Al Abad which led to the martyrdom of two people, and wounding a large number of civilians as a result of the explosion of the cluster bombs”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Hajja Maha
Adult female wife of Mot’eb Ramadan killed
And the son of Walid Al-Ayfan
Child male killed
Al Haj Salem al Mukhalaf
Adult male an elderly man, who later died from wounds sustained in this event. killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–8
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Hajja Maha, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid. (via MousaAlomar)
  • "Warplanes with cluster bombs target Al-Labed street in Mohssein in eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor." (via, Deirezzor24)
  • Al Haj Salem al Mukhalaf, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid. (via Euphrates Post)

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
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–8
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1437

Incident date

October 12, 2016

Location

جرجناز, Jarjanaz, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.617076, 36.783132 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians, a mother and her two children, were reported killed in an alleged Russian or Assad regime airstrike on Jarjanaz.

Shahba reported: “Two children were killed with their mom in a Russian warplanes shelling in Jarjanaz and others wounded.” Halab Today TV published a similar report.

All of the other sources reported that a woman and her two children were killed in the strike.

LCCSY, for example, wrote: “a woman and two children were martyred and dozens of others wounded due to Russian airstrikes with highly explosive rockets on Jarjanaz town east of Maarat Al Numan.”

However, Qasioun blamed the regime for the three deaths.

Anasanas84 tweeted that a man was found alive under the rubble, but his wife and two children died in the attack. The source added that the victims were displaced from Soran in Hama.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–24
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]

  • The immediate aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid in Jarjanaz, Oct 12th (via Smart News)
  • The immediate aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid in in Jarjanaz, Oct 12th (via All4Syria)
  • The immediate aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid. (via Syrian News Desk)
  • A crater formed by an airstrike. (via Omar Alwan1)
  • Footage showing the damage to civilian homes in the aftermath of the alleged raid. (via Maara Media Centre)
  • Damaged vehicles due to the alleged raid. (via Alidddd99)
  • Civilians stand by the crater which was formed by the alleged missile which hit Jarjanaz. (via Alidddd99)
  • Civilians stand by the crater which was formed by the alleged missile which hit Jarjanaz. (via Alidddd99)
  • Civilians stand by the crater which was formed by the alleged missile which hit Jarjanaz. (via Halab Today)
  • Footage showing the scale of destruction to civilian homes. (via EMC)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Jarjanaz (بنان), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.617076, 36.783132. 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 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
    2 – 3
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–24
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]