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

RS2767

Incident date

November 28, 2017

Location

البوكمال, Abu Kamal, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.466049, 40.907593 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A child was killed due to alleged Russian shelling on Abu Kamal, local media reported.

Only two sources reported on the incident, and both blamed Russia.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Bilal al-Jarba
8 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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
  • (1 child)
  • 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

RS1168

Incident date

August 19, 2016

Location

الحويقة, Howeqa, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.342102, 40.14576 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian male died and up to dozens more were wounded in an alleged Russian airstrike on Howeqa.

The Smart News Network reported that “One civilian was killed and others were injured” in a Russian strike.

According to @SYRIAEVENT1 “dozens” were wounded in addition to one death.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Mumtaz Mhaidi al-Badran, killed in an alleged Russian strike on Howeqa, Aug 19th (via VDC)
  • Mumtaz Mhaidi al-Badran, killed in an alleged Russian strike on Howeqa, August 19th (via Abedullah Darwesh)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

On August 19th 2016, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation reported that, "at 10:55 in the morning, the Zeliony Dol and Serpukhov small-sized missile ships of the Black Sea Fleet during the combat maneuvering performed 3 launches of cruise missiles Kalibr from fire positions in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea against facilities of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist grouping in Syria.
As a result, a command centre and a terrorist base near the Dar-Taaza inhabited area as well as a plant manufacturing mortar munitions and a large depot with armament were destroyed in the Aleppo province. The objective monitoring data confirmed the elimination of the planned targets." They added that allegedly "for the security of civilians, the flight path of the cruise missiles was planned over uninhabited territories".

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1233

Incident date

September 6, 2016

Location

معر شورين, Maarshorine, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.6675976, 36.7290564 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian died in Maarshorine, a village in the southern countryside of Idlib, according to numerous reports. Multiple sources, including @edlepnews and Alamawi, alleged Russia culprit.

LCCSY said that “a young man was martyed” due to the strikes. The source reported a qualitative similarity between the strike on Maarshorine and earlier strikes on Maardibsa which it described as “Russian airstrikes with vacuum missiles”.

Reports that did not apportion blame referred only to “warplanes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

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.

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS1738

Incident date

December 4, 2019

Location

حريتان , Hraitan, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

One girl died in an alleged Russian airstrike on Hraitan, according to local media.

Halab Today reported “the martyrdom of the girl Yasmine Shaheen and the injury of five civilians, mostly children, as a result of Russian air strikes on the city of Hreitan in the northern countryside of Aleppo”.

The victim was also named by the VDC (among other sources), who said that she was 13-years-old – and killed by Russian forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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 (6) [ 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 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
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2094

Incident date

April 8, 2017

Location

نصيب, Nasib, Dara'a, Syria

Geolocation

32.550502, 36.187213 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An eight year old child was killed in an airstrike in Nasib, Dara’a, according to local media sources – though it was unclear whether Russia or the Assad regime were responsible.

Most known sources for this event did not positively identify the aircraft.

Step News reported that “Russian aircraft intensified raids yesterday [8th]…targeting two villages in the town of Nasib”. However, Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that it was the “Syrian-Russian alliance” who carried out the raid, leaving some ambiguity.

Local media reported that the young girl who died was eight years old.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

8 years old female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The child, Ula Mousab Al-Refaie, was killed in a contested airstrike in Nasib, Dara'a. 8th April 2017. (Via: Daraa Martyr Center)

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 April 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
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS1322a RS2380

Incident date

August 2, 2017

Location

زور شمر, Zor Shamer, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.78379, 39.36559 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed in an airstrike in Zor Shamer, Raqqa, according to local media sources – though it was not clear who was responsible. Most sources attributed responsibility to Russian forces, though one reported that Coalition aircraft conducted the strike.

DeirEzzor24, reported that “Coalition aircraft targeted the area south of Hsaywa, Zor Shamer”.

Syrian Network for Human Rights was the only known source to mention any civilian harm and named the man who had died. They, along with all of the other known sources, attributed responsibility to Russia for the event.

In their August 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed

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
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Ibrahim Khaled al Qadour was killed in a contested Coalition-Russian airstrike in Zor Shamer, August 2 2017. (Via: SN4HR)
CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV330600
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 22, 2020
  • Aug. 2, 2017, in Zor Shamer, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 3141/CS1322a 37SEV330600

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 21 strikes consisting of 26 engagements against
ISIS targets.
 Near Raqqah, 14 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units and destroyed nine fighting positions,
two vehicles, a supply cache, a VBIED, a mortar position, an ISIS UAS site, and a generator.

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 August 1st-31st 2017.

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
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2614

Incident date

October 8, 2017

Location

الميادين, al-Mayadeen, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.016667, 40.444167 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One named civilian man was killed by alleged Russian airstrikes striking al-Mayadeen, Deir Ezzor, local media reported.

Multiple sources, including the victim’s son, Mamoun Ridawi, reported the death of the victim, Mohammed Hamoud al-Ridawi. 

All the sources, who identified the culprit, attributed blame to Russia. Euphrates Post additionally reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense had announced the launch of “about 150 raids a day on the Syrian city of al-Mayadeen.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male Nicknamed Ahmad killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (6) [ 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 October 1st - 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2787

Incident date

December 8, 2017

Location

جب ابيض, Jib Abyad village, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.405948, 37.862492 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A woman was reportedly killed in airstrikes which struck Jib Abyad, Aleppo after midnight. Local media was conflicted as to who was to blame, with Syrian Network for Human Rights blaming the “Russian-Syrian alliance”, while most others blamed Moscow.

Most sources reported on the “the martyrdom of a woman and the injury of a man” in the bombardment.

The White Helmets said that they “pulled a woman from under the rubble and transferred wounded people to field hospitals for treatment.”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights was the only source to specify that Jib Abyad Mosque was struck and rendered inoperable in the aerial bombardment.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Civil Defence members work to dig civilians out of the rubble following airstrikes on Jib Abyad, 8th December 2017. (via Aleppo white helmets)
  • Civil Defence members work to dig civilians out of the rubble following airstrikes on Jib Abyad, 8th December 2017. (via Aleppo white helmets)
  • Civil Defence members work to dig civilians out of the rubble following airstrikes on Jib Abyad, 8th December 2017. (via Aleppo white helmets)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Jib Abyad, 8th December 2017. (via Syrian Network for Human Rights)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

The Russian Ministry of Defence announced being active in unspecified parts of Syria until December 11th, 2017.


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 woman)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]