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

RS3768

Incident date

June 5, 2019

Location

كفرنبل, Kafar Nabil, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that in a night-time rocket attack on the town of Kafar Nabil near Idlib, more than 15 surface-to-surface missiles and rocket launchers were fired from the positions of Russia and the regime forces north of Hama province, causing fires in the city. Smart News initially claimed that five civilians were wounded, while in later post claimed a total of six wounded civilians, including two children and a woman. Local sources named the injured civilians saying that they endured light injuries.

However, some other sources blamed the regime for the civilian harm.

 

 

The incident occured during the night.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Muhammad Khatib محمد خطيب
15 years old male injured
Iman Khatib إيمان خطيب
18 years old female injured
Maryam Al-Khatib مريم الخطيب
13 years old female injured

Family members (2)

Daher Al-Shayeb ضاهر الشايب
Age unknown male injured
Muhammad Al-Shayeb محمد الشايب
Age unknown male

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–6
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (17) [ collapse]

  • Kafar Nabil after it was struck with rockets believed to have been fired by pro-Assad forces on June 5th (via Syria.liveuamap).
  • Images of regime targeting KafrNubul with rockets on June 5th, 2019. (via @Sy24ria)
  • Images of regime targeting KafrNubul with rockets on June 5th, 2019. (via @Sy24ria)
  • Images of regime targeting KafrNubul with rockets on June 5th, 2019. (via @Sy24ria)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on the first day of Eid Al Fitre. (via @NagiNajjar).
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on the first day of Eid Al Fitre. (via @NagiNajjar).
  • Rescuing the wounded after alleged Russian and Syrian forces airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on June 5th, 2019. (Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.)
  • Casualties among civilians as a result of alleged Russian and Syrian forces airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on June 5th, 2019. (Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.)
  • Alleged Russian and Syrian forces airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on June 5th, 2019. (Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.)
  • Civilians being rescued in the aftermath of alleged Russian and Syrian forces airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on June 5th, 2019. (Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.)
  • An injured civilian as a result of alleged Russian and Syrian forces airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on June 5th, 2019. (Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.)
  • Destruction as a result of alleged Russian and Syrian forces airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on June 5th, 2019. (Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.)
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian and Syrian forces airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on June 5th, 2019. (Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.)
  • Casualties among civilians in the aftermath of alleged Russian and Syrian forces airstrikes on Kafr Nubul on June 5th, 2019. (Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.)

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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–6
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3299

Incident date

March 18, 2018

Location

حرستا, Harasta, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.55869, 36.36515 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Seven or eight people, including two women and two children, were killed in air and artillery strikes on the city of Harasta on March 18th, 2018, according to several sources. The belligerent remains contested, with sources pointing both at Russia and the Syrian regime.

Syriahr reported the incident occurred in the evening, as warplanes carried out “several raids on areas in Harasta city”, which “coincided with the launch of more than 35 missiles believed to be ground-to-ground by the regime forces.”

While the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights mentioned four casualties, Harasta City and the Violations Documentation Centre Syria reported the names of seven victims, including two women and two children. One female victim reported by Harasta City remained unidentified, which makes it a possibility that this woman’s name was later published by the VDC.

@HalabTodayTV tweeted that “two children and two women are martyred due to shelling with surface-to-surface missiles on Harasta city.”

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Hassan Al Shatti (Abu Fadel) حسن الشطي ابو فاضل
Adult male killed
Ahmed Juma (Abu Fayez) احمد جمعة ابو فاي
Adult male killed
Member of the Al Akhras family
Adult male killed
Alaa Al Jabba Ji آلاء الجبه جي
Adult female wife of Abu Ismail Wehbe and mother of Ismail Where killed
Ismail Wehbe اسماعيل وهبه
4 years old male son of Alaa Al-Jabba Ji killed
Inam Al Abbas إنعام العباس
Adult female Wife of Abu Mansour Arab killed
Khaled Antar خالد عنتر
8 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 8
  • (2–3 children2 women3 men)
  • 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 (11) [ 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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 8
  • (2–3 children2 women3 men)
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3338

Incident date

March 26, 2018

Location

حرش عابدين, Harsh Abdin, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.4681522, 36.5376978 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Civilians were possibly injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on the town of Harsh Abdin, Idlib governorate, on March 26th, 2018, according to Shaam News Network.

@RFS_mediaoffice reported that “this morning, Russian warplanes attacked the woods of the town of Adbin in the southern Idlib countryside with missiles loaded with cluster bombs.”

@HadiAlabdallah tweeted that “Russian warplanes launched several airstrikes on the towns of Abdin and Habit in the southern countryside of Idlib.”

According to Step News Agency, “Russian aircraft launched several airstrikes with cluster bombs targeting the Abdin area.”

Shaam News Network reported the following: “Russian aircraft launched fierce air raids on the cities and towns of Ariha, Al Taman’a, Harsh Abidin, Al Naqir, Harsh Al Habit in the southern countryside, and Jisir Al Shugur, Al Safyat and Zarzour in the western countryside, which led to the fall of a number of wounded civilians.”

As it is unclear in which specific incidents civilians were harmed according to the Shaam report, and other sources do not mention civilian casualties for this incident, Airwars has graded the civilian harm status for this incident as “weak”.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • 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

Sources (4) [ 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
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3356

Incident date

March 31, 2018

Location

خان شيخون, Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were wounded in alleged Russian and/or regime airstrikes on Khan Sheikhoun, according to the Shaam News Network.

@GenevaUpdates reported that “warplanes bombarded the city of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib countryside with two air strikes, causing damage to several residential houses, while no injuries were reported.”

However, the Shaam News Network reported “a number of injuries”, blaming both Russia and the regime.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of two airstrikes on Khan Sheikhoun, March 31st 2018.

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
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3029

Incident date

February 17, 2018

Location

اللطامنة, al-Lataminah, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.3219885, 36.6234398 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Several civilians were possibly left wounded as aerial and/or artillery shelling struck al-Lataminah, Hama, local sources reported, who pointed to Russia as responsible.

Numerous sources reported how al-Lataminah had been subject to aerial, and possibly also artillery shelling, the latter reported by Hamah Now.

However, it was unclear among the sources whether the incident resulted in civilian harm. Only one source, Shaam News Network, reported about “a number of wounded” following the shelling of al-Lataminah.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • 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

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 February 1st - 28th 2018.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • 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

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3537

Incident date

September 4, 2018

Location

فريكة, Freika, idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were reported killed, and another injured in Freeka town in Idlib, as a result of alleged Russian airstrikes on September 4th, 2018, according to local sources.

Syrian TV reported that “a civilian was killed and his son was seriously wounded in Russian air strikes on the village of Freeka in Idlib countryside.” Macro Media Center identified the victim as Ahmad Mohammad al-Jaber, and said that his son Omar was injured in the incident.

However, Enab Baladi said that two civilians were killed in the attack. “According to the reporter of Enab Baladi in the Idlib countryside, the shelling killed three people in the city of Jisr Al-Shughour, and two in the town of Freeika in Idlib countryside.”

Sputnik reported from a Russian military source that “On the same day [September 4], four planes from the Russian air unit deployed at the Hmeymim Airbase carried out strikes on Nusra Front terrorist group targets in Idlib province with precision-guided munitions.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Ahmad Muhammad Al-Jaber أحمد محمد الجابر
male killed
Omar Ahmad Al-Jaber عمر أحمد الجابر
male critical injury injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 man)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda/HTS

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The bombing of Freika, 4th Sept 2018. (via Sputnik)

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
    1 – 2
  • (1 man)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda/HTS

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3565

Incident date

October 20, 2018

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr Al Shougur, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.81425, 36.319812 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A boy was killed and his sister injured when a cluster bomb from a previous alleged Russian raid on the city of Jisr Al Shughour exploded on October 20th, 2018, according to local sources. It is unclear when the bomb was fired.

@maraya404 tweeted that “a child is martyred and his sister is injured due to the explosion of a cluster bomb from the remnants of the previous bombing of the Russian aggression in the city of #Jisr Al Shughour, west of Idlib.”

The Facebook page Jisr Al Shoughour deaths identified the victim as Najdat Saroat Hilal. According to @haber822, his sister was “moderately wounded”.

It is unclear when the bomb was fired. All sources pointed to Russia as responsible for the unexploded ordnance.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Najdat Saroat Hilal نجدت ثروت هلال
Sister of Najdat Saroat Hilal
Child female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3476 

Incident date

June 27, 2018

Location

كحيل, Kahil, Dara'a, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian is reported killed in alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kahil in Dara’a on June 27th, 2018, according to local sources.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that they “documented that three were killed in bombardment by warplane on the towns of Jiza, Kahil, and al-Msifra, and the death toll is expected to rise because there are some people in critical situation.”

Shaam Network blamed Russia for the incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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