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

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)

Khaled Ahmad al Qaddour خاد أحمد القدور
Child male killed
Aisha al Hmoud عائشة الحمود
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]

Incident Code

RS3389

Incident date

April 3, 2018

Location

السكرية, Al Sukariya, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

34.471667, 40.911111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A woman and her son were killed in the village of Al Sukariya in Idlib province during alleged Russian and Syrian airstrikes, local media reported.

The strikes included cluster bombs according to Step News. Several civilians were reported wounded.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Unknown

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Unknown

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3009

Incident date

February 9, 2018

Location

كفرحلب, Kafr Halab, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.062057, 36.871512 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were wounded, some possibly killed, as an alleged Russian airstrike hit the Aleppo town of Kafr Halab, local media reported.

According to all of the available reports, a number of civilians were left wounded as the town of Kafr Halab was struck. However, Aleppo24 reported that civilians were both “killed and wounded.”

All sources reporting about the incident, agreed that Russia was to blame.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • 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 (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 not reported any strikes between February 1st - 28th 2018.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS576

Incident date

February 9, 2016

Location

الفردوس, Al Fardous (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.180995, 37.151892 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians including one child died and five others were injured, in an alleged Russian airstrike on Fardous in Aleppo according to local sources.

The Violations Documentation Center named a seven-year-old child, Ahmad Mustafa Koja, as killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on Fardous. The VDC also linked to an extremely graphic video posted by the Shaam News Network entitled ‘Shaam- Aleppo, Ferdos, Wounded children following Russian strikes 9/2/2016‘. It is not clear from the footage whether the children are dead.

According to the White Helmets, there were “several raids by warplanes on several Aleppo neighbourhoods targeting Al Ferdos, Al Sukkari, Al Amiyriya and Al Sheikh Said.” They added that members of the team pulled two dead bodies from the rubble, while five people were taken to field hospitals. The White Helmets did not say who the “warplanes” belonged to.

Halab News, Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies, LCCSY and All4Syria also named Ahmad Mustafa Koja as a victim. All sources blamed Russia. Halab News and All4Syria said that another unidentified person was additionally killed.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmad Mustafa Koja
Child male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of strikes on Fardous, Feb 9th (via White Helmets)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

From February 4th – February 11th, Russia reported: “In the course of the last week, February 4-11, aircraft of the Russian aviation group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 510 combat sorties engaging 1,888 terrorists’ objects in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, Homs, Hasakah and Raqqah.” It added: “Two powerful field commanders were liquidated in the Aleppo province.In the suburbs of Kalaz-Tahtani, a large illegal armed group with its commander, “Abu Maher” (“Farid Al-Misri”) was eliminated by an airstrike.The field commander “Abu Anas Al-Sham” from the Jaysh al-Sham terrorist group was liquidated in the territory of the same province.” It also said that “Russian aviation eliminated open ISIS oil storages in the Aleppo province.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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

RS2524

Incident date

September 22, 2017–July 25, 2019

Location

قريه الشميطية , Shumita village, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.4710166, 39.9351239 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On Sept 25th Euphrates Post reported: “The martyrdom of Haj Mukhlaf Khalaf Al-Ahmad from the village of Al-Shmitiya, from the wounds he sustained as a result of an air strike that targeted the village a few days ago”.

This victim was also named by the Violations Documentation Centre, along with a second victim Mekhlef al Hamadi.

There were also reports that ISIS had downed a regime helicopter in Shumita around Sept 18th, though Euphrates Post said these were “completely untrue”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Haj Mukhlaf Khalaf Al-Ahmad
Age unknown killed
Mekhlef al Hamadi
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    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]

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
    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

RS3187

Incident date

March 7, 2018

Location

عين ترما, Ain Tarma, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.51602, 36.35078 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were killed and wounded in air and artillery strikes on Ain Tarma, local media reported. Sources all blamed Russian warplanes.

Alaraby reported: “According to media loyal to the regime, the warplanes bombed several times, targeting in the towns of Haza and Ein Tarma, in Kafarbatna, Harasta and Arbine in the eastern Ghouta, amid heavy artillery shelling on these areas.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]