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)

Belligerent
Russian Military
Country
Syria
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure
text search
4805 Results
sort by:
Sort by:
Incident date
Civilian deaths alleged
Civilian deaths confirmed by belligerent

Incident Code

RS2533

Incident date

September 26, 2017

Location

قرية القناطر , Al Qanatar village, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.056385, 36.903623 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as five airstrikes on Al Qanatar killed and wounded a number of civilians, according to sources on the ground.

Step News Agency and the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SN4HR) reported that warplanes, suspected to be Russian, struck a school in the village of Al Qanatar in the southern Aleppo countryside on September 26th.

Step News Agency reported the killing of six civilians, although SN4HR only mentioned severe destruction to the school building, rendering it inoperable.

Other sources also said that Russia carried out a strike and reported that a number of civilians were wounded.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • ';suspected Russian warplanes fired a missile On Qanater village school in Aleppo governorate western suburbs, damaging it severely and rendering it inoperable on September 26, 2017.' (via SN4HR)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Al Qanatar village, Sept 26th.
  • The White Helmets reported that "warplanes" carried out five strikes on Al Qanatar village, Sept 26th.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS460

Incident date

January 25, 2016

Location

الرقة‎, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.949949, 39.007363 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and six civilians including a child died in airstrikes on Raqqa, according to local sources – though reports are conflicted as to whether Russia or the regime were responsible.

The Shaam News Network, reported that several non-combatants were killed and several more injured when warplanes “thought to be Russian” carried out airstrikes on areas within the city of Raqqah.

Activists told SNN that the raids targeted “Mu’awiya School and the Garage“.

Alnateq said that a child, Majd Aldendal was killed and his mother and father wounded when an air raid targeted their home near “the women’s union“. They did not say who carried out the strike.

Damascus Centre for Human Rights Studies – also blaming Russia – named Majd Aldendal as a victim, along with five other unidentified civilians.

According to Alaan TV, Russian warplanes targeted the “women’s union” building at 4pm, but a residential building was hit instead, leading to the death of three non-combatants. They added that there had also been raids on a garage and on “Train street“.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently did not say who was responsible.

However, Zaiton magazine attributed the incident to the regime warplanes, reporting that a whole family died  – naming the child Majd and four others.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Majd Aldendal
Child male named by Alnateq killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 6
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Part of the popular market town which was ruined in the alleged Russian raid. (via, SHRC)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

In its military report published on 1st February 2016, the Kremlin said: “In the course of the last week, the Russian aircraft in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 468 combat sorties engaging 1354 terrorists’ infrastructural facilities in the Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Raqqah, Daraa and Deir ez-Zor provinces. Among them – 24 ones were carried out by Tu-22M3 long-range bombers from the Russian territory…Near Rijm al-Ammala (Raqqah province), a Su-34 bomber attacked a mini-oil refinery of terrorists. Objective monitoring data confirmed elimination of the object by a direct hit.”

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 6
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1668

Incident date

November 23, 2016

Location

الفردوس, Al Fardous, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.180995, 37.151892 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to six civilians were killed and several wounded during aerial shelling of al-Ferdous, Aleppo, local media reported. Some sources reported of “several” victims while most specified that number to six.

For instance, Halab Today TV’s correspondent reported that: “6 civilians martyred and others injured following air raids on homes in AlFerdos in besieged Aleppo.”
None of the victims was however identified by name.

Sources were conflicted as to whether the strikes were carried out by Russia or the Syrian regime. Four sources, LCCSY, Paldf, ShahbaPress and MasarPressNet mentioned Russia as the belligerent, while SN4HR and Smart News pointed to the Syrian regime. Several sources only referred to “warplanes.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 6
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–19
  • 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 (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Footage of the aftermath of the contested strikes targeting Al Fardous neighborhood, Aleppo (via Thiqa News Agency)
  • The shelling of Ferdous, Aleppo inflicted heavy damage to several buildings in the area (via Paldf)

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 specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 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.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 6
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–19
  • 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 (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2364

Incident date

July 24, 2017

Location

الغانم العلي , Al-Ghanem Al-Ali, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.773959, 39.403642 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Akhbaralaan reported that “Russian aircraft also destroyed the building of the consumer institution in the town of Al-Ghanim Al-Ali”.

According to the Step News Agency, “intensive Russian raids targeted the village of Ghanem al-‘Ali in the eastern suburb of Raqqa this morning [July 24th], killing six people and injuring others.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • 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

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • 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

RS343

Incident date

January 5, 2016

Location

ابطع, Abtaa, Dara'a, Syria

Geolocation

32.79283, 36.15175 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five to six civilians including two children were killed and several others injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on Abtaa, according to the Violations Documentation Center and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – though reports are unclear whether the deaths were the result of raids by Russian warplanes or shelling by regime forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said warplanes “believed to be Russian” carried out six raids on Abtaa, but that this was accompanied by “intense shelling by the regime forces”.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Abdul Jaleel al-Nsairat
Child male grandson of Fawaz killed
Fawaz Soud al-Nsairat
Adult male killed

The victims were named as:

Ziyad Abdul Kader al-Jahed
Adult male killed
Abdul Rahman Ahmad Abo Stait
Age unknown male killed
Abdulsattar Qassem Mohammad Jaber al-Nuseirat
Adult male was also listed by VDC as having died at Abtaa, though is listed for January 3rd which may be an error killed
Mahmoud Fadel al-Jahed
15 years old male died in Jordan from injuries sustained in this strike killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 6
  • (2 children4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    40
  • 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]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A member of the White Helmets holding the body of a deceased child. (via, All4Syria)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Fawaz Soud al-Nsairat, killed by alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raids. (via, VDC)
  • Ziyad Abdul Kader al-Jahed, killed by alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raids. (via, VDC)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Abdul Jaleel al-Nsairat, killed on 5th January 2016. (via, VDC)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Mahmoud Fadel al-Jahed, killed in raids on 5th January 2016. (via, VDC)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Mahmoud Fadel al-Jahed, killed in raids on 5th January 2016. (via, VDC)
  • News story reporting on the riads. (via, ElAraby Television)

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 January 11 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Dara’a governorate: “In the course of 10 days of the year 2016, the Russian aircraft have performed 311 combat sorties engaging 1097 objects in the Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, Daraa, and Raqqah provinces.“

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 6
  • (2 children4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    40
  • 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

RS375

Incident date

January 12, 2016

Location

دوما, Douma, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.5714804, 36.4033699 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Six civilians were killed – including two children, an elderly man and a first aider – and several wounded in an airstrike on Douma, according to the White Helmets – though they did not say who was responsible for the attack the report stated that residential areas were targeted with cluster bombs.

Shaam News reported that Russian warplanes had allegedly launched several raids on Douma with missiles and cluster bombs, which led to an unspecified number of deaths.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abu Hatem Al Seidawi
Adult male named by Douma Revolution killed
Omar Bewidena
Age unknown male named by Syria2011 killed
Mohammed Jamal al-Ghazzawi
Age unknown male named by Syria2011 killed
Abdullah Injaileh
Child male VDC blamed “warplane shelling“ killed
Ziad Ahmad al-Slaik
Child male VDC blamed “warplane shelling“ killed
Shadi Hammoudeh
Adult male first aider was named by a local activist as having died as a result of cluster munitions killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (2 children)
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Abu Hatem Al Seidawi, killed in an alleged Russian or Syrian Regime raid on January 12th 2016. (via, VDC)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    First aider, Shadi Hammoudeh, was named by a local activist as having died as a result of cluster munitions. (via, YASER ALDOUMANI2)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The body of Abdullah Injaileh, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid. (via, YASER ALDOUMANI2)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The body of Ziad Ahmad al-Slaik, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid. (via, Found on VDC and media activist Yasser elFawal alDoumani page)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Shadi Hammoudeh, killed by an alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid. (via, Douma Revolution)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (2 children)
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2701

Incident date

November 5–7, 2017

Location

فيضة الجب, Faidat Al-Jib, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.726941, 40.300598 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Six civilians were reportedly killed in airstrikes which struck an IDP camp in Faidat Al-Jib. Sources blamed Russian warplanes, according to local media.

Initial reporting suggested two had been killed – a mother and son. Later on local media reported that the toll had reached six. All victims were named by the sources.

It was reported by Al Haal that 13 civilians were wounded, including children.

“The Russian warplanes launched several air raids yesterday targeting tents sheltering displaced people in the area of “Faydah Jab” in al Shouweit desert which led to the amputation of the feet of Mahmoud Hanan and the death of his 10-year-old son. They are from the town of Mahkan.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (6)

Wife of Hamid Ajil al-Hammadi
Adult female killed
Son of Hamid Ajil al-Hammadi
Child male killed
Mrs Fatima Ajil al-Hammadi wife of Daham Abboud al-Saytah
Adult female killed
Wife of Darman Saleh
Adult female killed
Daughter of Darman Saleh
Child female killed
The daughter of Hammadi the good Durman
Child female killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (3 children3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    13
  • 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 (11) [ 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
    6
  • (3 children3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    13
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS823

Incident date

May 31, 2016

Location

كفرتخاريم, Kafr Takharim, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

36.1169382, 36.5147781 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Activists told the Shaam News Network that “Sukhoi 24 warplanes” carried out strikes on Kafr Takharim, killing two children and wounding other civilians. In a later news roundup it said that the aircraft were “believed to be Russian”. A number of other news reports, including from Qasioun News, also blamed Russia.

But the Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed the Assad regime, reporting that its warplanes fired missiles near a dispensary.

A Tweet by Abulghafour alleged that as many as six civilians were killed in strikes on the city.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 6
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–24
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Warplanes shelling in Kafr Tkharim. (via Kafr Tkharim)
  • White helmets look for surviours in Kafr Tkharim. (via Kafr Tkharim)
  • Putting down the fire in residential buildings. (via Kafr Tkharim)
  • aftermath of the airstrike. (via Zakaria Nassani)
  • aftermath of the airstrike. (via bridge)
  • aftermath of the airstrike. (via bridge)
  • aftermath of the airstrike. (via bridge)

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 publicly 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
    2 – 6
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–24
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]