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

RS745

Incident date

March 30, 2016

Location

المرج, Marj, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.4941662, 36.4698029 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Shaam News Network reported that two civilians died in alleged Russian raids on Marj, eastern Ghouta.

Baladi and All4Syria also said there had been “warplane raids” on Marj, but that there had been no reports of deaths or injuries. Neither said who had carried out the raids.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    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

Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria for March 1st to March 30th.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS746

Incident date

March 30, 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

Shaam News Network reported that one civilian died and several others were wounded in a Russian strike in Douma: “Two civilians were martyred in Al Marj area in Russian raids and one was martyred and others wounded in Douma.”

However, other sources report that this was a regime action. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported for example “regime warplanes shelling in Ar-Rawda mosque in Douma which caused partial damage.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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, US-led Coalition, Syrian Regime

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Damage to Ar-Rawda mosque, Douma, after a strike on March 30th. All sources blamed the regime.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria for March 1st to March 30th

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition did not publicly report any strikes in Eastern Ghouta for March 30th-31st.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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, US-led Coalition, Syrian Regime

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS743

Incident date

March 26, 2016

Location

تدمر, Palmyra, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.5655244, 38.2873535 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One unidentified civilian male was killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on Palmyra, according to the Violations Documentation Center.

Activists told Shaam News Network that Russian warplanes targeted a bus carrying passengers from Damascus to Deir ez-Zor “near the third stop near Palmyra, which led to the death of one civilian and several wounded.” Syriapost1 and 00zabadani also reported a Russian strike on a bus.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria for March 1st to March 30th.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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

RS744

Incident date

March 26, 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

The Violations Documentation Center named two civilians, Zahra Fihan, and her son Mohammad Abdullah al-Rashed, as killed in an alleged Russian airstrikes on Raqqa.

The victims were also named by Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, which blamed Russia.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Age unknown female killed
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 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 (3) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria for March 1st to March 30th.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS742

Incident date

March 23, 2016

Location

جسرين, Jisreen, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.5112138, 36.3881891 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians died in an airstrike on Hasreen, eastern Ghouta, according to local sources – though reports are conflicted as to whether Russia or the Assad regime were responsible.

According to the Shaam News Network, the raids were “launched by a Russian Sikhoi 24“.

The network reported: “Activists said the shelling today focused on the towns of Bala and Zibdeen and Harasta and Jisrain in the Eastern Ghouta which started in the early hours, causing the fall of two martyrs and wounding of several more on the outskirts of the town of Hasreen. There was also destruction of residential property which coincided with the ongoing attempts by Assad’s forces to progress in the region.” Allser7 also said Russia was responsible

But other sources blamed the regime, with All4Syria reporting that “two civilians were killed and others were wounded, in violation of a new truce, the cessation of hostilities by the regime forces that targeted cities and towns Ghouta east of Damascus air raids and artillery shells”. Douma Revolution also put the death toll at two, but didn’t identify the waplanes responsible.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • 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]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria for March 1st to March 30th.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • 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

RS740

Incident date

March 23, 2016

Location

تدمر, Palmyra, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.5655244, 38.2873535 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One young adult male civilian died in an airstrike on Palmyra according to local sources, though reports are conflicted as to whether this was the work of Russia or the Assad regime.

Qasioun reported: Palmyra City was the target this morning of intensive raids by Russian aviation, amounting to about 35 strikes, in which aircraft used cluster bombs, “causing a number of deaths and injuries and destruction of buildings and property.”

The Violations Documentation Center and Palmyra City Revolutionary Committee named 20-year-old Mohammad Abdulmajeed Feisal al Qayem [pictured] as a victim of an alleged Russian airstrike on Palmyra.

However, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, he was killed in a strike by regime warplanes.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Abdulmajeed Feisal al Qayem
20 years old 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Mohammad Abdulmajeed Feisal al Qayem, 20 years old, victim of air strikes targeting Palmyra (via VDC)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria for March 1st to March 30th.

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 man)
  • 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

RS741

Incident date

March 23, 2016

Location

دير الزور, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

35.3353632, 40.1380348 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Ten civilians including four children died in airstrikes on Deir ez-Zor, according to local sources. Most reports blame the Assad regime.

Shaam News said the strikes had been carried out by “Syrian and Russian planes”. It reported 20 injured non-combatants in addition to the ten killed.

However, both Step News Agency and Baladi said that the regime was responsible. Baladi reported media sources from the province as saying “that warplanes bombed Khasarat, the old airport and the area around the roundabout Ghassan Abboud in Deir ez-Zor city center.” It added that the injured included three children who had their legs amputated.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ra’ed Hamoud Al-Sabri
Age unknown male killed
Ahmad Safwan Al-Hweij
Child male killed
Massa Jihad Al-Sha’ban Al-Hanadah
Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10
  • (4 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Ahmad Safwan Al-Hweij, victim of the air strikes targeting Deir Ez-Zor (via KhHweij twitter)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria for March 1st to March 30th.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10
  • (4 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS739

Incident date

March 19, 2016

Location

مسكنة, Maskanah, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

35.964534, 38.036764 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to two sources – Syria_Omar and Syrian Press Center – two power station workers died in a strike on plant in Maskanah.

Syria_Omar reported:Warplanes launched 12 air strikes on the city of Maskaneh on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of workers of the power plant in the city after the station targeted by aerial bombardment. This put the station out of service.” Radar2 reported that warplanes (it didn’t identify them) had carried out 12 raid on Maskanah – “without reports of injuries”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Jabali Abd al-Atia
Adult male Originally from Sandalia killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (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 (5) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria for March 1st to March 30th.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (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 (5) [ collapse]