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

RS108

Incident date

November 1, 2015

Location

منطقة أسيا, Assiya, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.271066, 37.078834 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unnamed civilian male was reported killed in an alleged Russian airstrike in Assiya. Almodon made no mention of civilian casualties, though did report strikes by “Russian jet fighters” on Assiya.

No additional information is presently available.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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

In its report for military actions on October 31st-November 2nd 2015, the Kremlin confirmed carrying out strikes in Aleppo governorate: “In the suburbs of Aleppo, a Su-34 bomber made a strike against a terrorist camp used for training of militants arrived from other countries. As a result of hits of air bombs, the ammunition depot as well as the training facilities were eliminated.”

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS140

Incident date

November 10, 2015

Location

الرحيبة, Al Rahiba, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.74424, 36.70394 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The White Helmets reported that one adult male civilian was killed, and several others injured in an alleged bombing by Russian warplanes. However, the VDC blamed the Assad regime for the death.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The White Helmets remove a body from ruins, following an alleged Russian airstrike in Al Rahiba, November 10th (via The White Helmets)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Al Rahiba (الرحيبة), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.74424, 36.70394. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown
Official source

Strikes in Damascus governorate were confirmed by Russia in its published November 9th-11th report.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2921

Incident date

January 20, 2018

Location

حيش, Heesh, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.549065, 36.644537 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed, according to local media, when airstrikes hit the vicinity of Heesh. Most local media blamed Russian warplanes, however some did not attribute blame.

Civil Defence teams pulled the body from the rubble in the aftermath of the bombing on civilian homes in Heesh.

According to @SyriaCivilDefe, cluster bombs and Russian rockets were fired onto the vicinity.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian casualty in the aftermath of airstrikes on Heesh, 20th Jan 2018. (via @SyriaCivilDefe)

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
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS334

Incident date

December 30, 2015

Location

تدمر, Palmyra, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.5655244, 38.2873535 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One adult male, named by the Violations Documentation Center as media activist Yousef Abo Bilal, (aka Abu al-Homsi Joshua) was killed in an alleged Russian airstrike.

While the VDC lists Hamidiya neighbourhood in Homs, Yousef Abo Bilal actually died in Palmyra. His non-combatant status is also questioned.

As Enabbaladi notes: “Activists from the city of Homs mourned media activist Abu Bilal al-Homsi, who died in an air raid on the city of Palmyra in Homs on Wednesday 30th December. He wrote as activist Abu al-Homsi Joshua through his personal Facebook page… Abu Bilal had announced [in 2014] his pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State.“

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Yousef Abo Bilal
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (1 man)
  • 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]

  • Yousef Abo Bilal, killed by a contested Russian and Syrian Regime raid. (via, SNN)
  • Yousef Abo Bilal, killed by a contested Russian and Syrian Regime raid. (via, Enab Baladi)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia does not appear to have published a strike summary for December 30th-31st 2015.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (1 man)
  • 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

RS366

Incident date

January 11, 2016

Location

معارة الارتيق, Maarat al Arteek, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.247681, 37.053483 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Activists told Shaam News that Russian warplanes targeted Maarat al Arteek with three strikes, using highly explosive missiles. They said that an automated bakery and residential buildings were damaged, which resulted in the death of one person and the injury of 10 others, including serious cases taken to field hospitals.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mahmoud Zahra
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–10
  • 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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any strikes between 11-15 January.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–10
  • 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

RS3152

Incident date

March 3, 2018

Location

أوتايا, Otaya, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.524241, 36.455908 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed and an unspecified number of others were wounded in air and artillery strikes on Otaya, local media reported.

There were not many specific details reported, but it is clear that Otaya was one of many small towns struck in Idlib on the 3rd.

Arabic Euro reported “the latest air raids and shelling of Douma, Beit Sawa , Otayya, Masraba, Saqba, Kafr Batna and Ash’ari in the eastern Ghouta resulted in at least 22 deaths.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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

RS814

Incident date

May 28, 2016

Location

مسكنة, Maskanah, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

35.963172, 38.035655 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One unnamed civilian was reported killed and two or more injured in alleged regime (or possibly Russian) airstrikes on Maskaneh.

No additional details are presently known.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Translation: Regime warplane shelling killed a civilian and wounded others in Maskanah. (via LccSY)

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 May 1st – 31st.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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

RS3893

Incident date

July 11, 2019

Location

الكفير, Al Kafir, Idlib , Syria

Airwars assessment

One civilian was reported killed, and 19 to 27 injured in airstrikes on Al Kafir, Idlib, on July 11th.

Jisr Media Center named 70-year old Omar Jabbu as killed in the attack, and  27 others who were wounded in the incident, including many children.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights alleged that “more than 19 people were injured -including 7 children- in air raids by regime’s warplanes targeting al-Kefir village, west of Idlib.”

Dored1pash said that Al Kafir was attacked with four rockets at the same time.

Both the Syrian regime and Russian forces were named by various sources as the belligerents responsible for the attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (16)

Omar Jabbu عمر جبو
70 years old male killed
Rimas Jabbu ريماس جبو
10 years old female injured
Nader Jabbu نادر جبو
50 years old male injured
Hisham Jabbu هشام جبو
22 years old male injured
Ashraf Jabbu أشرف جبو
25 years old male injured
Hasna Jabbu حسنة جبو
75 years old female injured
Khaled Jabbu خالد جبو
85 years old male injured
Katibba Jabbu كتيبة جبو
20 years old male injured
Mohammed Jabbu محمد جبو
25 years old male injured
Khalaf Khalid Jabbu خلف خالد جبو
25 years old male injured
Shahed Nawaf Jabbu شهد نواف جبو
11 years old female injured
Nawaf Jabbu نواف خالد جبو
38 years old male injured
Nayef Jabbu نايف جبو
25 years old male injured
Bashar Jabbu بشار جبو
18 years old male injured
Muhammad Nader Jabbu محمد نادر جبو
22 years old male injured
Anad Nawaf Jabbu عناد نواف جبو
12 years old female injured

Family members (7)

Jalila al-Kurdi جليلة الكردي
35 years old female injured
Jum’a Kurdi جمعة كردي
3 years old male injured
Lujain Kurdi لجين كردي
2 years old female injured
Yasser Kurdi ياسر كردي
50 years old male injured
Khaled Kurdi خالد كردي
16 years old male injured
Sabah Kurdi صباح كردي
6 years old female
Ramez Kurdi رامز كردي
8 years old male injured

Family members

Family members (2)

Hussein Suleiman حسين سليمان
18 years old male injured
Mohammed Suleiman محمد سليمان
2 years old male injured

The victims were named as:

Abeer Gomaa Al-Sheikh عبير جمعة الشيخ
2 years old female injured
Hanan Al-Jasim حنان الجاسم
32 years old female injured
Mohammed Hussein Al-Ahmad محمد حسين الأحمد
2 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    19–27
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Al Kafir in Jisr al-Shoghour on July 10th, 2019. (via Firas Sobaih)
  • Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Al Kafir in Jisr al-Shoghour on July 10th, 2019. (via Firas Sobaih)

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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    19–27
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (17) [ collapse]