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

RS4433

Incident date

February 11, 2020

Location

زردنا, Zardana, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On February 11, 2020 the city of Zardana was struck by an air raid from Russian or regime forces that killed two men.

Syrian Civil Defense as well as local witnesses reported that warplanes, using machine guns, struck a camp in Zardana with families and killing two men. Shaam News corroborated this story, but names were not released.

A tweet from @Talhamwi3 added that “the shells reached the vicinity of the Sanabel Al-Khair team’s endowment camp in the city of Zardana, and the families were evacuated, and we are now moving the camp to a safe area”.

Witnesses and news agencies credited the Assad regime for the air strikes while Shaam News mentioned both the regime and Russian aviation carrying out strikes across Idlib, including in Zardana.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • 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

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Zardana........11/2/2020
  • "The shells reached the vicinity of the Sanabel Al-Khair team’s endowment camp in the city of Zardana, and the families were evacuated, and we are now moving the camp to a safe area." (Image posted by @Talhamwi3)

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
  • (2 men)
  • 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

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS4465

Incident date

February 19, 2020

Location

بسامس, Bsames, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian was wounded through an alleged Russian bombing raid on the village of Bsames on February 19th, 2020.

A tweet by @oulaalassaad mentioned both the wounding of a civilian and the specific targeting of displaced people by Russian warplanes. However, @mhmdfaisel mentioned that “civilians” were injured without providing a number for how many. No names were released of the wounded individuals.

Bsames is a village that contained a significant number of displaced civilians. A tweet from @syayleQKPE2wuys identified the location of the strikes as being a poultry farm.

Tweets from Shaam News, Smart News, and local witnesses reported a singular injured civilian due to an attack by Russian fixed-wing warplanes. All of the other sources also attributed the strikes to Russian forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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]

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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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

RS4495

Incident date

March 1, 2020

Location

كفرنتين, Kafar Natin, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to five civilians, including one child were killed, and three to six others were injured as a result of an alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrike on a residential gathering in Kafr Natin near Dar Ezza in Aleppo, on the morning of March 1st 2020 according to Local sources.

Most of the sources claimed that Russian forces were responsible for the airstrikes, while few others including SNHR blamed the Syrian regime.

Arabic news agencies and other local sources initially reported the killing of 4 civilians, however SCD-Aleppo documented the names of 5 killed civilians: young Mahdi Al-Jarr, young Raji Abdullah, young Hassan Ibrahim Jameel Al-Jarr, young Imran Jamil Al-Jarr, and the child Muhammad Abdul Kafi Mustafa who was a student at Al- Yarmouk school.

Ibrahim Abu laith from Syrian Civil Defense said that five civilians, including one child, were killed and three others were wounded as a result of air strikes by warplanes, targeting a house in the village of Kafar natin west of Aleppo. SCD-Aleppo named the injured as Jamil Al Jarr, Barakat Jamil Al-Jarr and Zaki Jamil Al-Jarr and mentioned that 3 other injured were unidentified patients. Syrian Civil Defense added that some of those that were wounded were in critical condition.

A few local sources including Halab today TV reported that the residential gathering attacked was close to a Turkish point. The Syrian Civil Defense added that two air strikes were carried out against the village of Kafr Natin.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (1 child3–4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–6
  • 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

Sources (25) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Natin on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers recovering the body of a victim after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Natin on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers recovering the body of a victim after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Natin on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD).
  • Rubble after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Natin on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers searching for victims underneath the rubble after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Natin on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD).
  • Civilian homes were reportedly targeted in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Natin on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).
  • Civilian homes were destroyed in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Natin on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).
  • Civilian homes were reportedly targeted in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Natin on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers at the site after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Natin on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).

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
    4 – 5
  • (1 child3–4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–6
  • 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

Sources (25) [ collapse]