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

RS2124

Incident date

April 14, 2017

Location

السخنة , Sokhna, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were injured in alleged Russia airstrikes on Sokhna, according to two local sources.

2baddiyy tweeted: “The Russian occupation aircraft targeted the city of Sokhna northeast of the city of # Palmyra with several raids causing the destruction of civilian homes and injuring a number of people.”

Step also reported that an unspecified number of civilians were wounded by Russian strikes in “the vicinity of the silos and the town of Sokhna”.

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 (2) [ 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 (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2207

Incident date

May 1, 2017

Location

جبل شاعر, Jabal Sha'er, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.924271, 37.954167 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Alleged Russian warplanes carried out air raids in Jabal Shaer, a mountain area near Homs, and wounded several civilians, local media reported.

According to @fawaaaa4, Russian airstrikes allegedly hit “the mountains of Shaer and Jazel”. This source who also added that the strikes had hit Beduin communities.

Both sources mentioned that the raids had caused several wounded.

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 (2) [ 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 May 1st - 31st 2017.

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 (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3607

Incident date

March 20–21, 2019

Location

قرية بسيدا, Bsida village, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that six Russian aircrafts carried out airstrikes on a number of villages in rural Idlib including Bsida village.

One woman was reported injured in this particular village, while an airstrike on Al Faqee caused a number of fatalities and wounded civilians that Airwars documented in assessment R3397.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (9) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2714

Incident date

November 11, 2017

Location

ام مويلات, Um Mweylat, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.559462, 37.014334 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were injured, due to “targeted” Russian airstrikes on a refugee camp in Um Mweylat. All sources either named Russia as culpable, or did not attribute blame to a belligerent.

The raids were heavy, according to EdlibEMC1.

No civilian deaths were reported.

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
    0
  • 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 (14) [ 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
    0
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2477

Incident date

September 20, 2017

Location

خان شيخون, Khan Shikhoun, Syria

Geolocation

35.440813, 36.6493607 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were wounded in alleged Russian airstrikes on the town of Khan Shikhoun, local sources reported.

The injured included a young girl and a woman, according to Zaman Al Wasl.

The incident occured around dawn.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • 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 (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
    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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2981

Incident date

February 5, 2018

Location

سراقب, Saraqeb, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.859101, 36.797731 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In this single source event, Edlib Media Center reported: “a civilian is wounded as a result of the targeting of the Russian occupation aircraft in residential neighbourhoods in the city of Saraqeb in eastern Idlib.”

Currently, there are no further details availble.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Russia has not reported any strikes between February 1st - 28th 2018.

Summary

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

RS3014

Incident date

February 10, 2018

Location

التمانعة, Taman'a, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.457626, 36.750314 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime warplanes struck the town of Taman’a, Idlib, reportedly wounding several civilians, local media reported.

Sham News Network reported how “Russian and Asiad military aircraft launched dozens of air raids,” wounding civilians in multiple towns across eastern Idlib on February 10th, including Taman’a.

While other sources provided similar reported, it was only Sham News Network who reported about injury of civilians following the strikes.

All sources, except one, pointed to Russia as the responsible; Sham News Network pointed to both “Russian and Asiad military aircraft”.

Step News Agency described that the airstrikes coincided with violent clashes between the opposition forces and the regime on the ground.

While Edlib Media Center and Step News Agency attributed blame to Russia, the event remains contested as Sham News Network pointed to both Russian and Syrian regime culpability.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 (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 February 1st - 28th 2018.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3526

Incident date

July 21, 2018

Location

تسيل, Tasil, Dara'a, Syria

Airwars assessment

Four civilians including a child and a woman were reported killed in alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Tasil in Dara’a on July 21st, 2018, according to local sources.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said ” At least four civilians, including a girl, were killed as Syrian/Russian regime warplanes fired missiles on Tasil village in Dara’a governorate, northwestern suburbs, on July 21st, 2018.

@SYR_REV_NEWS tweeted “Four civilian martyrs, including a woman, as a result of warplane raids on the town of Tasil, west of Dara’a.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said that 20 people including six members of the regime forces, and six civilians were killed in attacks in Dara’a countryside on July 21st, 2018.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]

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
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]