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

R4505

Incident date

March 17, 2023

Location

افس, Afes, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.905004, 36.802975 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child, a girl, and a woman were reportedly injured on March 17th 2023 after an alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime machine gun fire or shelling hit the village of Afes, east of Idlib in Syria.

Two sources, the White Helmets and Baladi reported that a child was injured by Russian forces, and the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported that a woman was injured by Syrian regime forces.

There is no further information about these civilians at this time.

 

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Afes (افس), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.905004, 36.802975. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4537

Incident date

August 5, 2023

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr Al Shogour, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On August 5th 2023, between three and four civilian children were injured during shelling allegedly carried out by the Syrian regime and/or Russian forces on a residential neighborhood in the city of Jisr al-Shughur, Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a few days later that one of the children had died from their wounds.

The Syrian Civil Defense (@SyriaCivilDefe) reported that the four children from the same family had suffered “fractures and bruising” when a wall collapsed outside their home following shelling. Syria TV added that one of the injuries was “a case of suffocation due to inhalation of rubble and shelling dust.” The Syrian Civil Defence posted images on the X website, formerly Twitter, of their teams inspecting the aftermath of the shelling and providing medical treatment to a child named Haitham Sarhan Dandash, who is five years old.

@Omar_Madaniah provided the names of three of the children injured: Haitham Sarhan Dandash, five years old, injured, male; Salam Sarham Dandash, five years old, injured, male; Kawkab Sarhan Dandash, fourteen years old, injured female.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on August 10th, five days after the incident, that one of the children later died of her wounds.

Our-Syria news identified the location of the shelling as being close to Al-Turkman Mosque in Jisr al-Shughur.

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the shelling, with the Syrian Civil Defense blaming both the Syrian regime and Russian forces while the majority of sources attributed the shelling to the Syrian regime. Syria TV specified that the shelling came from Syrian regime forces stationed in Jourin camp.

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Haitham Sarhan Dandash
5 years old male injured
Salam Sarham Dandash
5 years old male injured
Kawkab Sarhan Dandash
14 years old female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–4
  • 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 (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • Civil Defense volunteers responded to alleged Syrian regime or Russian shelling on August 5, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers responded to alleged Syrian regime or Russian shelling on August 5, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civil Defense volunteers responded to alleged Syrian regime or Russian shelling on August 5, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civil Defense volunteers responded to alleged Syrian regime or Russian shelling on August 5, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    With love, the volunteer "Mustafa Khadura" talks to the child "Haitham" in the hope that he will forget the pain while providing him with treatment in the hospital after he and his three brothers suffered fractures and bruises after the collapse of the wall of their house in Jisr Al-Shughur, west of Idlib, as a result of artillery shelling by the regime forces and Russia this Saturday evening. Aug. 5.
  • The father of a child, injured during shelling in the Syrian city of Jisr al-Shughur, attending his child at a Syrian Civil Defence medical checkpoint (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe via Twitter, on August 5th, 2023)
  • Residential building in the city of Jisr al-Shughur which was shelled by alleged Syrian regime / Russian forces (Image posted by @Nedal_8_1984 via Twitter, on August 5th, 2023)
  • Damage caused by alleged Syrian regime or Russian shelling on August 5, 2023. (Image posted by Our-Syria News)
  • Damage caused by alleged Syrian regime or Russian shelling on August 5, 2023. (Image posted by Our-Syria News)

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
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–4
  • 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 (19) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1887

Incident date

February 12, 2017

Location

حي الحميدية, Al Hamidiya, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.3301466, 40.1456308 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians were injured in alleged Russian airstrikes against the neighborhood of Al Hamidiya in Deir Ezzor.

The consensus among local sources, including Deir Free, was that Russian planes were responsible for the airstrikes. Additional videos were posted that claimed to show the airstrikes and the aftermath but the videos have since been taken down.

According to Aljazeera, ISIS’ media agency, A’maq, published pictures of the effects of the airstrikes on civilian homes. Sharqiya voice reported that Al Hamidiya was under the control of Daesh at the time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

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

Incident Code

R4564

Incident date

October 4, 2023

Location

كفرنوران, Kafr Nouran, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

A missile strike killed at least five members of the same family, including three women, and wounded at least one more — all civilians — in Kafr Nouran, Aleppo after midnight on October 5, 2023. The strike was allegedly carried out by the Syrian regime and/or Russian military.

Zahraa Ali Karhou, an elderly crippled mother, was among the dead, along with four of her children. Her two adult daughters, Khadija Mustafa Tanna and Fatoum Mustafa Tanna, and two young sons, Faraj Mustafa Tanna and Ahmad Mustafa Tanna, were all killed in the strike, and another female sibling was injured.

The victims were an internally displaced family staying in a residential home, according to Syrian Civil Defense. The building was struck by missiles around 2 a.m., Al Quds reported, after which rescue teams transported the dead to a hospital, along with the wounded woman. Images posted by Al Quds also showed the funeral and burial of the victims.

Syrian Civil Defense reported five dead and one wounded, while Abu Obada Hamoe Post said the number of dead has risen to six, with “a number wounded.” A tweet from @creativenewssy provided a lower death count of two and identified three “serious” injuries.

Two anti-armor thermal rockets were used in the strike, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, who attributed the attack to the Syrian Regime. Others, including Khalil Al Yaseen Post, suggested Russian forces were responsible.

“Stunned, he does not know what happened, and how it happened,” @SyrianCivilDefe wrote on Twitter, describing a young surviving family member standing in front of the bodies. “One thing this child knows, he has known death and oppression since he was born…” Other images posted by the @SyrianCivilDefe show family members mourning over the bodies of those killed.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Zahraa Ali Karho زهرة علي كرهة
Adult female killed
Faraj Mustafa Tanna فرج مصطفى تنا
Adult male killed
Ahmad Mustafa Tanna أحمد مصطفى تنا
Adult male killed
Khadija Mustafa Tanna خديجة مصطفى تنا
Adult female killed
Fatoum Mustafa Tanna فطوم مصطفى تنا
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 6
  • (3 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (16) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: Aljazeera news
  • Source: Syria tv news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Sarmen al yaom
  • Source: Sarmen al yaom
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Abo obada hamoe
  • Source: SNHR news
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 6
  • (3 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2054

Incident date

April 2–3, 2017

Location

كفر زيتا, Kafr ZIta, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.374143, 36.601896 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were wounded in an alleged Russian or regime strike on Kafr ZIta, according to sources on the ground. Multiple reports said that a bakery was struck and rendered out of service.

According to Alaraby, “the warplanes and helicopters of the regime and Russia targeted several vital installations in the countryside of Aleppo, Hama and Idlib…Bombing targeted the only bakery in the town of Kafrzita, north of Hama, which put it out of service”.

Rozana reported: “On Sunday morning [April 2nd], Russian warplanes launched air strikes with surface rockets targeting the towns of Latamna, Kafarzita, Teyba, Imlaya, Souran and Mardas, in the northern suburbs of Hama.

According to Rozana’s correspondent, Abdu Abu Jamil, the bread oven in the town of Kafrzita was put out of service after being targeted by several air raids by Russian aviation. The furnace serves more than 100,000 civilians in the region.”

The Smart News Agency said that “three civilians were wounded and a number of sheep were killed” – and pointed to Russia.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS2028

Incident date

March 25, 2017

Location

معر شورين, Ma'ar Shureen, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

Between two and four civilians were wounded in an alleged Russian or Assad regime airstrike on village of Ma’ar Shureen in Idlib, local media reported.

According to the Smart News Agency, four civilian were wounded. Other sources put the figure at two.

Zamanalwasl said that the strike hit a popular market in the village.

While several sources did not identify the culprit, most sources attributed blame to Russia. However, al-Jazeera indicated that both Russia and the Syrian regime were responsible.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • 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 (2) [ collapse]

  • Footage from Ma'ar Shureen, Idlib, after being struck by either Russian or Assad-waged airstrikes on March 25th, 2017 (via Qasioun News)
  • Footage from the moment Ma'ar Shureen, Idlib was struck either Russian or Assad-waged airstrikes on March 25th, 2017 (via Omawi News Agency)

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 March 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
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • 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]

Incident Code

RS2398

Incident date

August 21, 2017

Location

ميادين, Mayadeen, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

The Smart News Agency reported that “five civilians were killed and dozens were wounded” in an airstrike on Al Mayadin on August 21st.

The source didn’t identify who carried out the strike but noted that “activists launched a campaign of solidarity with them [the victims]. They condemned the daily bombardment of the International Coalition aircraft, Russia and the regime, which resulted in the killing and wounding of dozens of civilians”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3667

Incident date

May 6, 2019

Location

كفرسجنة, Kafar Sijna, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

A single source claimed that civilians, including children, were wounded when an alleged Russian airstrike struck the town of Kafr Sijana in southern Idlib on May 6th, 2019.

No other details are known at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

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

Sources (1) [ collapse]