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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Russian Military
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Incident Code

RS2309

Incident date

June 28, 2017

Location

السخنة, Al-Sokhna , Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.8848748, 38.8711739 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecific number of civilians were killed and wounded in an airstrike on Al-Sokhna – according to local media. Only one source blamed Russia, and the others blamed unidentified warplanes for the raids.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “the warplanes bombarded areas in the northern outskirts of the city of Sokhna in the eastern Homs countryside with news of martyrs and wounded.”

Smart News Agency reported “civilians [were] killed by airstrikes likely to be Russian, north of the city of Sokhna east of Homs.”

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
  • 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 (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 June 1st – 31st 2017.

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown 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, Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2509

Incident date

September 24–25, 2017

Location

نبع عين الزرقا, Ain al Zarqa, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

33.234981, 35.929448 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were killed, including a woman, and five others, including two women, were injured in alleged Russian airstrikes against the Ain al Zarqa area of Jisr al Shougohur, according to local sources. Two of the women that were injured in the airstrikes were from the same family.

Local sources were conflicted as to when the strikes occurred and who was responsible for them. While Smart News Agency reported that the airstrikes were carried out Sunday night (September 24th), the post on Jisr al Shoughour Media Centre discussing the raids was published on September 25th but does not give an explicit date of the incident. Smart News Agency was also the only source to attribute the attack, blaming Russian planes, while Jisr al Shoughour Media Centre did not identify who was responsible.

A pro-regime source reported that “Warplanes now target the headquarters of the Ahrar al-Sham militia in Ain al-Zarqa in Drakush. Killing and injuring most of those inside the headquarters.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mays Mohammad Ali
Age unknown killed
Musa Mohammed Ali
Age unknown injured
Fatoum Mohammed Ali
Age unknown injured
Esraa Mohamed Ali
Age unknown injured
Issa Mohammed Ali
Age unknown injured
Ali Mohamed Ali
Age unknown injured
Name unknown
Age unknown

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 woman)
  • 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
    Unknown, Russian Military

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Unknown Assessment:

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

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 woman)
  • 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
    Unknown, Russian Military

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R2459

Incident date

October 8, 2017

Location

العشارة, Al-Ashara, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were reportedly killed in alleged Russia or Syrian regime airstrikes on the city of Al-Ashara, Deir Ezzor, local media reported.

Only one source, Sharqiya Voice, reported the death of two civilians, while the remaining sources merely reported about aerial bombardment, which @Deirfree called “hysterical” .

One source, @obaidahalabdull, attributed blame to the Assad regime while @Deirfree identified Russia as the responsible. 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Footage of the moment the Russian or Assad-waged airstrike hit Al-Ashara, Deir Ezzor, October 8th, 2017 (via @wwaa56)

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 - 31st 2017.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS2962

Incident date

February 1, 2018

Location

الخواري, Al-Khawari, Aleppo, Aleppo , Syria

Geolocation

35.908657, 36.923332 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In this single-source event, Al Latamna Youth Group reported that alleged Russian warplanes carried out airstrikes in Al-Khawari, Aleppo, resulting in “martyrs and wounded civilians”.

Currently, no further information is available.

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
    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 strikes between February 1st - 28th 2018.

Summary

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

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2492

Incident date

September 22, 2017

Location

بنين الدير الشرقي, Banin and al Deir al Sharqi, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.711012, 36.640349 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported that civilians were killed and wounded in alleged Russian strikes on Banin and al Deir al Sharqi. Most sources said that missiles had been fired on Banin from Russian battleships.

Khaled al Waleed and Adam.sy said that three civilians had been wounded.

According to HNN, there were “martyrs and wounded in shelling by Russian battleships” – but the source didn’t provide numbers.

Violations Documentation Centre reported that a man died from his injures three days later. He was reportedly from from Deir al-Sharqi town.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Khalaf al Hamoud
Age unknown killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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]

  • Translation: "Intensive air raids, believed to be Russian, targeted the towns of Kafarnabal, Deir al-Sharqi, Hass and Kafr Sajna"
  • Translation: "Watch a Russian air strike targeting the outskirts of the town of al Deir al Sharqi in southern countryside Idlib"

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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

RS265

Incident date

December 12, 2015

Location

سبع و اربعين, Saba’a wa Arba’een, Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.0811704, 40.6566453 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were reported killed and several others injured in an alleged Russian attack by helicopters on southern rural villages of Hassaka, according to Siraj Al Hasskawi, an activist from the region.

Hasskawi noted that if the helicopters proved to be Russian then this would be the first raid in the area since the announcement of Russian strikes.

No further details are currently available.

 

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
    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
Official source

Russian position: Russia is not known to have publicly released any information relating to its airstrikes in Syria between December 9th and December 14th 2015.

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3717

Incident date

May 26, 2019

Location

سفوهن, Sfwhen, Idlib , Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to two civilians were reportedly killed in an airstrike on Sfwhen, Idlib, on May 26th.

Syrian Network for Human Rights claimed that “two civilians from the same family” were killed in the strikes, while Halab Today TV stated that “a young man was killed” in the attack.

Local Coordination Committees of Syria identified one of the victims as Muhammad Maarouf Al-Ismail, while Syrian Human Rights Committee said that a woman, Feryal Al-Ismail, was also killed in this incident.

While Syria.liveuamap did not positively attribute blame, referring to “cluster ammunition bombardment and air raids” on the town, two sources attributed the strike to the Syrian regime. Syrian Civil Defense made reference to the “Russian occupation of the cities and towns of rural Idlib,” as well as regime forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Muhammad Maarouf Al-Ismail محمد معروف الاسماعيل
male killed
Feryal Al-Ismael فريال الاسماعيل
female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • Civilian casualty as a result of the May 26th airstrike on Sfwhen, Idlib (via Syrian Network for Human Rights)
  • Aftermath of an airstrike on Sfwhen on May 26th, 2019. (via Enab Baladi).
  • Aftermath of an airstrike on Sfwhen on May 26th, 2019. (via Enab Baladi).
  • Civilians and SCD volunteers gathered in the aftermath of an airstrike on Sfwhen on May 26th, 2019. (via Enab Baladi).
  • Civilians gathering in the aftermath of an airstrike on Sfwhen on May 26th, 2019. (via Enab Baladi).
  • A SCD volunteer on duty in the aftermath of an airstrike on Sfwhen on May 26th, 2019. (via Enab Baladi).
  • Aftermath of an airstrike on Sfwhen on May 26th, 2019. (via Enab Baladi).
  • An image taken in the aftermath of an airstrike on Sfwhen on May 26th, 2019. (via Enab Baladi).

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS297

Incident date

December 21, 2015

Location

الشيخ مقصود, Sheikh Maqsod (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.236126, 37.150049 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two or three civilians were reported killed and nine injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on Sheikh Maqsod, according to the Shaam News Network. SNN reported that Russian warplanes launched several raids which came after the signing of a ceasefire between  rebels and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units.

However all other sources blamed the Assad regime. Ana Press noted: “Regime aircraft this afternoon targeted the Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood of Aleppo, killing two people and wounding others. The event is the first of its kind in two years, as the Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood has not been subjected to shelling, or airstrikes – not even from the Russian planes, which intervened in the region recently, since the neighbourhood has for several years been under the control of Kurdish factions in the city of Aleppo.”

Hawar News also blamed the regime, saying that barrel bombs had killed three civilians including an unborn child. It named the dead as Adnan Sabri Jawish aged 56 years and 20-year old Silvana Mustafa who was pregnant.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adnan Sabri Jawish
56 years old named by Hawar News killed
Silvana Mustafa
20 years old female pregnant named by Hawar News killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    9–10
  • 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]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Sheikh Maqsod following airstrikes on December 21st 2015. (via, Ana Press)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

For December 18th-23rd 2016, Russia reported that “In the course of five days, on December 18-23, aircraft of the Aerospace Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 302 combat sorties engaging 1093 objects in the Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Homs and Deir ez-Zor provinces… In Aleppo province, a Su-34 bomber made a strike on a command centre of one of the Ahrar ash-Sham illegal armed groups uncovered by UAVs. Direct hit on the building occupied by terrorists completely destroyed the facility.”

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    9–10
  • 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]