Russian Military in Syria

A Russian combat aircraft at Khmeimim airbase in Syria being prepared for action. (Russian Ministry of Defence)

Belligerent
Russian Military
Country
Syria
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure

Incident Code

RS1597

Incident date

November 16, 2016

Location

السميرية, Al Samiriya, Aleppo , Syria

Geolocation

35.892969, 37.31471 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two children died in an alleged Russian airstrike on the village Al Samiriya, Aleppo, according to local sources.

@Syriamubasher1 reported one child died, whilst @ShahbaPress reported the death of one child and the injury of two other children from one family. Both sources blamed Russia. 

@RasdAgency reported two children killed and two more injured. SCDAleppo named two children killed, adding that “the civil defense” had to “lift martyrs from the rubble and take the wounded to hospital”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Omar Rahman
15 years old male killed
Abdeil Rahman
5 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 children)
  • 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
    Russian Military, Unknown

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • A young boy treated for injuries in after alleged Russian strikes hit Al Samiriya, November 16th (via SCDAleppo)
  • A little boy in Al Samiry, treated for injuries sustained in alleged Russian warplane shelling, November 16th (via SCDAleppo)
  • Locals at the scene of rubble and destruction in Al Samiriya, looking on at the impact of alleged Russian warplane shelling (via SCDAleppo)

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 specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 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”.

Additionally, Russia reported that its air forces have carried out strikes in Aleppo during November and December 2016.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 children)
  • 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
    Russian Military, Unknown

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1610

Incident date

November 17, 2016

Location

ضهرة عواد, Dahat Awad, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.201724, 37.188892 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two unidentified civilians died in an alleged Russian airstrike on Dahat Awad, Aleppo, according to Halab News’ list of martyrs in Aleppo.

The entry stated: “unidentified [killed], following Russian enemy raids on Dahra Awad neighbourhood, civilians”

An RFS North tweet reported that there were “intensive airstrikes targeting Dhahra Awad”, however it does not mention civilian casualties.

No further details are currently available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

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 specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 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”.

Additionally, Russia reported that its air forces have carried out strikes in Aleppo during November and December 2016.

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1703

Incident date

November 27, 2016

Location

نبل , Nabil, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.376549, 36.991322 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In what may have been a friendly fire incident, committed by the regime, or by Russia, an unspecified number of people were killed and wounded in Nabil, according to sources on the ground.

HNN reported “four air raids [three using vacuum missiles and one cluster bombs] by Russian planes on the pro regime villages of Nabil and Al Zahra. News indicates that there are a number of killed.”

Umyyapress provide the most detail, reporting: “a warplane – believed to be Russian – targeted the northern towns of Nabel and Zahra loyal to the Assad regime in the northern countryside of Aleppo, Sunday [Nov 27th], which led to the deaths of a number of dead and wounded, according to sources loyal to the Assad regime.”

There were conflicting reports about the source of air raids that hit areas in the two towns, sources said that Russian airliner struck at nine thirty in the night with a number of air raids, while other sources said that the flight is unidentified.

“According to pro pages, the two towns were targeted with four air and cluster air strikes, resulting in civilian casualties. According to these pages, Zahra Hospital announced the need for blood units from all factions, calling for the need to donate blood.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

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 specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 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.”

Additionally, Russia reported that its air forces have carried out strikes in Aleppo during November and December 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1613

Incident date

November 17, 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

Two civilians were killed in air or possibly artillery strikes on Al Mowasalat, Aleppo, according to local media – though it was unclear whether Russia or the Assad regime were responsible.

Shahba Press reported that two people died and there was “injury of other civilians following Russian raids on the besieged Aleppo.” This death toll was corroborated amongst all other known sources.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Al Mowasalat was one of the neighbourhoods that was struck with “shelling by the regime forces with artillery shells and rockets”.

However, the sources Syria News Desk and Shahba Press attributed responsibility to Russian warplanes.

The source @rola1katib stated that “a number of air strikes were launched by cluster bombs targeting the city’s Al Mowasalat district”. 

It was unknown how many were injured in the incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Translation: 25 martyrs in city and countryside: 5 in Al Fardous, 2 in Bustan Al Basha, 2 in Sheikh Fares, 2 in Al Moasalatation, 3 in Al Ansari, 5 in Urma Al Kubra, 2 in Maadi, 4 in Al Salhin.
  • Translation: Numerous massacres and unprecedented shelling from all types of weapons. The number of martyrs is countless at this moment. #Aleppo burned by Assad and Russia. The picture from Al Moasalatation district just before.

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 specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 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”.

Additionally, Russia reported that its air forces have carried out strikes in Aleppo during November and December 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
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2104

Incident date

April 10, 2017

Location

بلدة حور , Hour village, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.88256, 38.17169 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported on the killing of a shepherd and his daughter due to multiple airstrikes in the village of Hour in western Aleppo.

Sources reported that the strikes were likely Russian, although some sources alleged they were launched by the Syrian regime.

Most sources reported the use of cluster bombs.

“Multiple” civilians were wounded and brought to medical facilities.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Unknown.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2493

Incident date

September 22, 2017

Location

كفرسجنة, Kafr Sajna, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.5261134, 36.5813398 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two children were killed in alleged Russian airstrikes against the town of Kafr Sajna in southern Idlib. All sources blamed Russian warplanes for the raids.

One local source included wounded in the casualty estimates but did not specify whether it was in Kafr Sajna or Deir al Sharqi. Both sources that reported in the incident, Smart News Agency and Idlib Media Centre, attributed the airstrikes to Russian planes.

Step tweeted photographs and claimed that a salt factory was targeted.

The child Ahmad Khaled Al-Qasoum, was also named in a previous incident. It is unclear in which incident he was killed.

Graphic footage shows the bodies of children who were burned alive due to the raids.

Local media suggested that children were burned to death due to Russian warplanes.

Al Jazeera tweeted that “The rocket attack targeted the positions of al Nusra Front in Idlib”. They blamed Russian warplanes.

eqtsad reported that “Russian battleships on Friday, with several missiles of the type “Caliber”, targeted the villages and towns of the southern countryside Idlib, as part of its fierce air attack on the elements of life there.”

They added that, “A rocket landed in a salt factory in the village of Kafrsajna in the southern suburb of Idlib, killing the child, “Ahmad Khalid al-Qassum al-Issa”, an only child for the family that works as guards for the factory in order to earn their living. The rocket caused the child to be burnt and the villagers were unable to save him. The fire turned him into a charred body. A number of wounded, in addition to the exit of the plant from the service and destroyed completely.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmad Khaled Al-Qasoum
Child male killed
Ahmed Ibn Khaled Al-Issa
Child killed

Summary

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

Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]

  • Ahmad Khaled Al-Qasoum, killed in airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via VDC)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via Qasioun)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via Syrian Coalition)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A graphic video of a child burning to death.
  • Alleged Russian warplanes.
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via Step)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via Step)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via Step)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via Step)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via eqtsad)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via eqtsad)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via eqtsad)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via eqtsad)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via eqtsad)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Sajneh, 22nd Sept 2017. (via eqtsad)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS2527

Incident date

September 25, 2017

Location

المويلح, Al Moweleh, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.26888, 37.4695 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians were killed and five others were injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes against the village of al Moweleh in northeastern Hama, according to local activists. All of those that were killed and wounded were from the same family.

Activists with Smart News reported that the villages of northeastern Hama were targeted by Russian planes.

Smart News was the only source to report on the incident and at the time of reporting, the Civil Defense teams were still removing victims from the rubble and transporting survivors that may have been in critical condition in ambulances.

Alaraby reported that “After midnight, Syrian warplanes carried out a second cluster bomb explosion in the northern village of Muwailah, killing two people and five wounded from one family.” They were the only source to attribute blame to the regime.

Shadadi Media Centre reported that the “Coalition targeted two members of Daesh members of religious police. They were riding motorcycles and were instantly killed.”

Airwars researches have noted that the chances are, this incident is unrelated, however it is unusually coincidental how the reportage shows the same date, the same umber of deaths and the same village. Despite this, village is in al hassaka and the one here is Hama so probably totally unrelated.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

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

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

Incident Code

RS3727

Incident date

May 28, 2019

Location

معرة ماتر أو معرتماتر, Ma’ar Tamater, Idlib , Syria

Airwars assessment

A mother and child were reported killed in alleged Russian or Syrian Regime airstrikes on Ma’ar Tamater, Idlib, on May 28th, 2019, according to local sources. An unknown number of others was injured.

A number of sources stated that two civilians had been killed in the strike, whereas Step News Agency reported only one fatality. A mother and her child were claimed to be the victims of the attack, with the Syrian Network for Human Rights naming them as Khaled Ahmad Al Qaddour, and his mother, Aisha al Hmoud.

The Syrian Civil Defense stated that “a woman and a child from the town of Ma’ar Tamater were killed by a military airstrike targeting civilian houses this morning,” and documented the removal of their bodies “from the rubble of their houses”.

Several sources reported that an unknown number of other civilians had been injured in the strikes. According to the SCD, the village was targeted in the morning.

Several sources attributed the strike to the Syrian regime, while others, such as Step News Agency, named Russia as the active belligerent.

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Adult female mother of Khaled killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: "A woman and a child were killed in the town of Ma’ar Tamater in rural Idlib by a military airstrike targeting civilian houses this morning." (via Idlib Plus)

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
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (16) [ collapse]