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

RS1244

Incident date

September 9, 2016

Location

كفر ناها, Shamico, near Kafr Naha, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1658391, 36.9767189 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to two civilians died and several more were wounded in an alleged Russian airstrike on a mosque in Shamico near Kafr Naha, according to local media. Sources reported that cluster bombs were used in the attack and that civilian homes were destroyed.

The majority of sources referred only to “warplanes”, though Smart and Syria News Desk blamed Russia.

According to Syria News Desk, “civilians were killed and wounded while they were leaving Friday prayers after Russian warplanes targeted a mosque with cluster bombs”.

Most sources put the death toll at two, though Syria News Desk said one person died and dozens more were wounded.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Remnants of cluster bombs and rubble in Kafr Naha, the aftermath of alleged Russian warplane shelling (Tweet via @baladinetwork)
  • Material destruction in Kafr Naha following suspected Russian warplane shelling (Youtube via Baladi)
  • Local people survey the destruction in Kafr Naha, the impact of suspected warplane shelling (Youtube via AMC)

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 September 1st – 30th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1439

Incident date

October 12, 2016

Location

القاطرجي, Al Qaterji (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1995518, 37.1815538 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians died in an alleged Russian or regime airstrike on Aleppo’s Al Qaterji neighbourhood, according to sources on the ground.

More than one source suggested the use of “phosphorus missiles” which is intentionally banned. 

Halab News listed two unidentified civilians as killed “following Russian enemy raids with bunker busting missiles”.

According to the Shaam News Network on October 12th, “Russian and Assad aircraft did not stop from flying in the skies of Aleppo and its countryside and launched dozens of air raids”. SNN said that two people died as a result in the al Qaterji neighbourhood.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • 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]

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 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
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • 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

RS1528

Incident date

November 5, 2016

Location

الأتارب, Al Atarib, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1375975, 36.8284035 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One or two civilians were killed, including a female child, and more than 15 civilians were injured, from airstrike shelling on Al Atarib city. Local media reported that cluster bombs struck a popular local market, which resulted in many civilians being trapped under the rubble. The airstrikes came during a unilateral truce declared by Russia and were part of a concerted effort to bombard the western countryside of Aleppo during the battle of Aleppo.

Sources were contested as to who was responsible for the airstrikes, with the majority identifying Russian planes as the culprits.

The head of the rural sector of the western civil defence in Aleppo, Mohamed Halaq, and various other local sources, including Smart News and Al Jazeera, attributed the airstrikes to Russian raids.

However, @Arakan_News blamed the Syrian regime for carrying out the airstrikes.

Images published by Smart News showed the damage to infrastructure, including buildings and roads, with some covered in blood from the victims.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Nada Mostafa Al Sayyed
7 years old female named by Syrian Network for Human Rights killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1–2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–15
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • Nada Al Sayyed, aged 7, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Atarib, 5th November 2016. (via SN4HR)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Atarib, Aleppo, 5th November 2016. (via Smart News)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Atarib, Aleppo, 5th November 2016. (via Smart News)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Atarib, Aleppo, 5th November 2016. (via Smart News)
  • Fires being extinguished in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Atarib, Aleppo, 5th November 2016. (via Smart News)
  • Fires being extinguished in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Atarib, Aleppo, 5th November 2016. (via Smart News)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Atarib, Aleppo, 5th November 2016. (via Smart News)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Atarib, Aleppo, 5th November 2016. (via Smart News)

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 November 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
    1 – 2
  • (1–2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–15
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1637

Incident date

November 19, 2016

Location

الصاخور, al-Sakhour, Aleppo , Syria

Geolocation

36.2179122, 37.1892357 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that several civilians were killed and injured following Russia or Assad regime airstrikes targeting the city of al-Sakhour, Aleppo.

Sources did not provide detailed information about the victims, and most sources merely referred to ‘several’ or ‘numbers’ of killed and wounded.

However, several reports mentioned that the city had been struck by chlorine gas, leading to suffocating. For instance, @aboalhodaalhoms said that there were “a number of cases of suffocation among civilians following helicopters dropping explosives containing chlorine poison gas in the Al Sakhour district.” Barrels bombs are known to be used by the regime, meaning that its involvement in this event can’t be ruled out.

Additionally, at least three sources reported the use of cluster bombs in the attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

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 (9) [ 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 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
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1772

Incident date

December 7, 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

Two named civilians died and two more were wounded in an alleged Russian airstrike on Anadan in the northern Aleppo countryside, according to sources on the ground.

Syria Mubasher, Abu Taym Al-Halabi, and Syria rev news said that one civilian had died.

Halab News noted the use of cluster bombs, while LCCSY said that “several bunker-busting missiles” were used.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Hassan Mansour
50 years old male killed
Mohammad Abd al Razzak Koraj
44 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (2 men)
  • 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 (9) [ 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 specific strikes between December 1st – 31st 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
    1 – 2
  • (2 men)
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1791

Incident date

December 14, 2016

Location

المشهد, Al Mashad, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1834027, 37.1369648 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to ten people were injured in an air and artillery strike which struck a residential neighbourhood in Al Mashed, Aleppo. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame. One attributed blame to both Russia and Syrian regime artillery. The other two remained impartial.

There were no specific numbers of killed reported, however, the Step News Agency did report that “cluster bombs and missiles in the Aleppo neighbourhoods of Al Zabadia, al Mashad, Salahudin, al Sukkari, Saif al Dawla, led to the fall of dead and injured.”

One source specified that five cluster bombs struck the area.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • 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 (3) [ 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 December 1st – 31st 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
    10
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1967

Incident date

March 13, 2017

Location

الهبا, Al-Hiba, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.824302, 37.451749 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source reported that an elderly man and his grandson were killed, and one other civilian was injured, in an alleged Russian airstrike on Al-Hiba.

A local source told Smart that the village was under the control of ISIS.

The child was aged six.

The injured civilian only suffered from mild wounds.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (1) [ 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 specific strikes between March 1st - 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2653

Incident date

October 21, 2017

Location

جب السكر, Jib Al-Sukkar, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.488056, 37.286944 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were killed and as many as two others were injured – including a mother and sister – following airstrikes on Jib Al-Sukkar, lovcal media reported. All Sources blamed Russian warplanes for the raids.

Thamer died and his “mother Faheeda Al-Ali and his sister” were also injured following the “Russian bombardment of the village of Jib al-Sukkar”.

Their home was reportedly struck in the raid.

Later on @Step_Agency put the number of deaths to two, with no specific details. 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Thamer Khaled Al-Hashem
Child male killed
Faheeda Al-Ali - mother of Thamer
Adult female injured
Sister of Thamer
Child female injured

Summary

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

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The moment an airstrike hit Jib Al-Sukkar, 21st October 2017. (via @hamdw5)

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
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]