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

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]

Incident Code

RS994

Incident date

July 12, 2016

Location

قبر الأنكليزي, Kabr al Inglizi, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.2613693, 37.0926118 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A man named was killed in an an alleged Russian airstrike on Qabr Inglisi, according to local media.

LCCSY and Smart News blamed Russia. Smart News reported the death of two people in this raid, but the other has victim has not been identified.

There is no other information on this raid.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ibrahim Abdulrazak Haj Ibrahim
40 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • 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

Russia has not reported any strikes between July 1st – 14th 2016.

Summary

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

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS4056

Incident date

August 20, 2019

Location

كفرنبل, Kafar Nabil , Idlib , Syria

Geolocation

35.6155094, 36.5471898 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One to two civilians were reported killed and one civilian injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on Kafar Nabil, Idlib, on August 20th, 2019.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that “two men” were killed “in Russian airstrikes on the town of Kafar Nabil”.

Meanwhile, Syria.liveuamap reported that “one civilian” perished “in Kafar Nabil, due to Russian raids.” @MasarPressNet also reported one civilian killed and Syrianoor reported one civilian killed and one injured.

All sources attributed the attack to Russian forces.

 

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
    1 – 2
  • (1–2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 (4) [ 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
    1 – 2
  • (1–2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1204

Incident date

September 1, 2016

Location

حريتان, Hraytan, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.287032, 37.08332 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two possible civilians died in airstrikes on Hraytan, according to local media, though it was unclear whether Russia or the Syrian regime were responsible for the deaths.

Halabtoday, Syr_Rev_News and Alamawi, the Violations Documentation Center and HNN blamed Russia. Smart added that eight non-combatants were also wounded.

However, according to Alaraby the regime was to blame.

Other sources – Shehab and Step News Agency – pointed to both the regime and Russia, with Step reporting that helicopters were used along with warplanes.

There is also some doubt over the victims’ combat status: Aboodeh9068 said that the two victims were members of the “Al-Tawhid brigade”, suggesting that they may not be civilians.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Hussein Saqer
Age unknown male killed
Mahmood Kamal Masri
Age unknown male killed

Summary

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

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • The destruction on the streets of Hraytan following suspected Regime and Russian missiles (Tweet via @ShehabAgency)
  • Hussein Saqer and Mahmood Kamala Masri - the two men alleged killed in warplane shelling on Hraytan (Tweet via @abodee9068)

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 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
    0 – 2
  • (0–2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1398

Incident date

October 4, 2016

Location

عندان, Anadan, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.29353, 37.04466 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to local sources air and artillery strikes hit the city Anadan north of Aleppo, killing one or two civilians.

According to Nabd Syria, “two people were killed and others wounded in Anadan due to regime warplanes and artillery shelling”.

One source, Muslm, attributed the strikes to both the Assad regime and Russia, while Jsirtv pointed to Russia alone.

However, most sources – al-Meghreb Today, RFS North, @Syriamubasher and @AnadanMedia – pointed to the Assad regime.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammed Hussein Jewaid
Adult male though Yousef Kharfan and Halabtoday said he was a fighter killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Mohammed Hussein Jewaid, a fighter. (via, Yousef Kharfan)

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 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
    1 – 2
  • (1 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 (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1495

Incident date

October 21, 2016

Location

Tarei, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.434444, 36.740833 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In what looks to have been a Syrian regime action, an elderly man and his son were reported killed by an airstrike in Tarei village, Idlib.

LCCSY initially appeared to blame Russia, but in a later post attributed the deaths to the Syrian regime.

Most other sources also pointed to the regime. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, for example, “two civilians (an elderly man and his son), died as a result of the bombing by government warplanes with missiles.”

A number of other sources didn’t apportion blame.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (0–1 children1–2 men)
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

On 20th October 2016, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation reported on the decisions made aimed towards stabilising the situation in Aleppo.

""Today, strikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Air Force are finished at 10:00 (MSK) in the area of Aleppo. Early termination of the airstrikes is essential for holding a “humanitarian pause” on October 20, 2016”, said General of the Army Sergei Shoigu. According to him, it will allow to guarantee security of civilians leaving the city through 6 humanitarian corridors and to prepare casualty and medical evacuation from the eastern part of Aleppo.
“We apply to the leadership of countries influencing on armed formations active in the eastern part of Aleppo with a proposal to convince their leaders to stop warfare and leave the city,” stated the Minister of Defence.
According to General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, by the start of the “humanitarian pause” the Syrian troops will have been withdrawn to the distance safe for insurgents to leave the city with weapons through two special corridors: one – along the Kastello road, second – in the area of Suk al-Hai market."

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (0–1 children1–2 men)
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

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]