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

RS2247

Incident date

May 22, 2017

Location

عقيربات, Akeirbat, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

35.0412099, 37.464692 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

More than one civilian was injured in alleged Russian airstrikes against the town of Akeirbat in eastern Hama, local media reported.

All sources that reported on the incident, including Aljazeera and Step News, identified Russian planes as responsible for the airstrikes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS2249

Incident date

May 22, 2017

Location

الحريشة, Al Harisha, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.005113, 37.491875 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians, including two children, were killed and at least three others were injured in alleged Russian airstrikes against the village of Al Harisha in the Eastern Hama countryside, according to local sources. Smart News Agency named Russian planes as those believed to be responsible while other sources did not name a party to blame.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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
    2
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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

RS2704

Incident date

November 8, 2017

Location

القورية, Al-Qourya, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.96, 40.55 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A father and son were killed following an airstrike on the river crossing at Al-Qourya. Members of their family were also allegedly injured in the strike. Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible.

Euphrates Post blamed Russian warplanes for the strikes, however Smart News Agency reported that the Syrian regime was culpable for the civilian harm.

Some sources say their home was also damaged in the raid, so it can be assumed they lived near the river crossing.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Adult male father killed
Child male son killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 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 (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Yassin Ali al-Jassim, killed in airstrikes on Al-Qourya, 8th Nov 2017. (via Mhamadahmade)
  • Yassin Ali al-Jassim, killed in airstrikes on Al-Qourya, 8th Nov 2017. (via Omar Omar)

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
    2
  • (1 child1 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 (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2967

Incident date

February 2, 2018

Location

كفر حلب, 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

Airstrikes and/or artillery shelling in Kafr Halap, Aleppo, killed two civilian men along with wounding several more, local media reported – though it was unclear whether Russia or the Assad regime were to blame.

Two civilian men, identified by name, were reportedly killed by the assault in Kafr Halab.

Jsirtv attributed blame to “aerial bombardment of the regime fighters” while Step News Agency, who also pointed to the regime said that “artillery shelling” had killed the two civilians.

The same source added that the incident was preceded by a Russian raid at a mosque, though this was limited to material damage.

Meanwhile, Shaam News Network attributed blame to “Russian warplanes.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed

Summary

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

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • One of the victims of the contested airstrikes in Kafra Halap, Aleppo, February 2nd, 2018 (via Directorate of Civil Defense in the province of Aleppo Free)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victims of the contested airstrikes in Kafra Halap, Aleppo, February 2nd, 2018 (via Directorate of Civil Defense in the province of Aleppo Free)
  • One of the victims of the contested airstrikes in Kafra Halap, Aleppo, February 2nd, 2018 (via Directorate of Civil Defense in the province of Aleppo Free)
  • Civil Defence members helping one of the wounded following the contested airstrikes in Kafr Halap, Aleppo, February 2nd, 2018. However, this image was also published in association with a strike in Kafr Halab, Aleppo, also on February 2nd and the source is not clear as to which incident it belongs to.(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 strikes between February 1st - 28th 2018.

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
    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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2863

Incident date

January 7, 2018

Location

ابو الظهور, Abu Al-zuhur, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.738034, 37.047858 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were killed and wounded following alleged Russian airstrikes on Abu Al-zuhur. Sources either blamed Russian warplanes, or “helicopters”, making this a contested event.

According to local media, “successive raids” and “heavy shelling” caused “large umbers of dead and wounded” as well as destruction to residential buildings.

The raids, which according to local media occurred in the morning, targeted “Abu al dhouhour, Tal al-Tuqan, Sarqab, al-Sarman, al-Ghadfa, Abu Makki, the outskirts of Ma’arashurin, Tal Kursan, al-Haraki, Jarjnaz and al-Tamanah.”

Smart News reported that a number of civilians were killed and “more than 40 members of the Civil Defence teams” were wounded by Russian warplanes.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • 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 (7) [ 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

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

Incident Code

RS444

Incident date

January 22, 2016

Location

اللطامنة, Ltamenah, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.3219885, 36.6234398 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Violations Documentation Centre named two adult male civilians as killed “as a result of the explosion of remnants of a missile from Russian shelling“, however in the notes of Abdul Naser Younes al-Khattab there is a video of the victim entitled ‘the Jihadist  Abdul Naser Younes Al khattab in one of the field hospitals in the Hama countryside’, so it is not clear whether he was a civilian of a Jihadist.

Furthermore, the image published of the other victim, Mohammad Khair Haytham al-Mahmoud “al-Kateb”, may suggest that he is not a civilian.

An additional source, Syrian News Desk, reported that “two opposition fighters were killed and others injured in the town of Ltamenah while trying to disarm a missile which had not exploded after being fired by a Russian plane.”

The media opposition activist Mohammed Ali of Hama said: “The two members of Jasyh al Ezzah from Free Syrian Army were killed and four were wounded by the explosion of the rocket, which they tried to extract from inside the earth so as not to cause harm to civilians.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male not clear whether these men are civilians or Jihadists killed
Adult male not clear whether these men are civilians or Jihadists killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A man receives medical treatment.
  • Mohammad Khair Haytham al-Mahmoud "al-Kateb", killed in an alleged Russian raid. Sources claim this man is Jihadist. (via, VDC)
  • Abdul Naser Younes al-Khattab, killed in an alleged Russian raid. Sources claim this man is Jihadist. (via, VDC)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

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
    0 – 2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Incident Code

RS604

Incident date

February 13, 2016

Location

ضاحية الكهرباء, Dahiat al Kharaba, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1682296, 37.0184326 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Shaam News Network reported two children killed in alleged Russian airstrikes: “Russian planes continued their raids on the town of Khan Al A’ssal and Dahiat al Kahraba neighbourhood which led to the dead of two children [girls] in the latter.”

Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies also said that two unidentified civilians died in a Russian strike.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

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 (2) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

From February 10th – February 16th, Russia reported: “On February 10-16, aircraft of the Russian aviation group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 444 combat sorties engaging 1593 terrorists’ objects in the provinces of Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Aleppo.”

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 (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2731

Incident date

November 14, 2017

Location

صبيخان, Sabikhan, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.85305, 40.59987 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians were killed and others were injured, following airstrikes on Sabikhan, according to local media. Both Russia and the Syrian regime were responsible, according to sources.

Media suggested that a river crossing was targeted by the raids.

“The shelling killed a civilian and injured others, mostly women and children, amid acute shortage of medical personnel and medicines and the exit of most hospitals from service by intensive shelling, according to activists.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Fawaz Fennesh al-Sa'oun
Age unknown killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (13) [ 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

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]