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

RS1333

Incident date

September 24, 2016

Location

كرم حومد, Karam Homad, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.196287, 37.181253 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and eight civilians were killed and as many as 22 more injured in airstrikes in Karam Homad in Aleppo, according to local media – though reports were conflicted as to whether this was the work of Russia or the Syrian regime.

The lowest death count was given by Almustaqbal and Zamanmasdar at one civilian – though these source, as with some others, didn’t apportion blame.

Micro Syria was among the majority of reports attributing the event to Russia. It put the death count at six, and referring to the event as “a massacre”.

According to the Step News Agency, “eight civilians were killed and more than 20 injured by airstrikes targeting the Karam Homad neighborhood in the city of Aleppo.”

However, other sources pointed towards the regime. The Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed shelling by “government forces” and LCCSY said that both Russian and Assad jets had carried out strikes in Aleppo on this day, including in Karam Homad.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    20–22
  • 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 (23) [ 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 September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    20–22
  • 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 (23) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1981

Incident date

March 17, 2017

Location

الطبقة مسكنة , the road between Maskanah and Tabaqa, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.963172, 38.035655 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Eight civilians were killed and another 17 were injured when their bus was struck during an air raid between Maskanah and Tabaqa, according to sources on the ground. Smart News Agency reported that it is ‘likely’ the warplanes that conducted the attack were Russian.

The Violations Documentation Center in Syria has named Ahmad Al-Zaher as one of the victims, but Maskina al Habibi disputed this fact on Facebook claiming that he is ‘safe and well.’

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmad Al-Zaher
Age unknown male Named by VDC - though Maskina al Habibi said he was "safe and well".

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • (1–2 children1–2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17
  • 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 (3) [ 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

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • (1–2 children1–2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2183

Incident date

April 27, 2017

Location

معرشورين, Maarshurin village, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.667511, 36.727252 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between four and eight civilians, including two women and two children, were reportedly killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on the village of Ma’ar Shureen on the morning of the 27th of April, according to sources on the ground. The strike reportedly left ‘dozens’ of others wounded.

Aljazeera reported that a funeral procession in the village was struck, killing four civilians and wounding dozens more.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Sameh Hasan Tahbash
Adult male killed
Shifae Khaled Tahbash
Child female killed
Ineam Abd al-Monem Tahbash
Child female killed

Family members (2)

Awad al-Abd al-Hafez
Adult male killed
Hozaifa Abd al-Hafez
Adult male killed

The victims were named as:

Aysha al-Qadour
Adult female killed
Ahmad Abd al-Monem al-Hasan
Child male killed
Um Abd al-Monem al-Hasan
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 8
  • (3–4 children1–2 women3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–24
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Maarshurin village, April 27th.
  • Further scenes of the aftermath of alleged Russian airstrike on Maarshurin village, April 27th.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 8
  • (3–4 children1–2 women3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–24
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS137

Incident date

November 9, 2015

Location

مخيم أوبين, Ubin IDP Camp, Lattakia, Syria

Geolocation

35.800556, 36.155278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A major airstrike on an IDP camp close to the Turkish border killed up to eight civilians and injured a further ten, according to reports. While most blamed the Assad regime, JBC News claimed Russia was responsible. All said powerful Russian-made munitions were used in the attack.

The camp – home to 5,000 internally displaced Syrians – was reportedly struck by a massive 2,000lb bomb or missile. Survivor ‘Ahmed’ told Alaan TV: “While I was preparing some firewood to ward off the chill in my tent, we heard whistling, and a huge rocket exploded in the air. Hundreds of bomblets littered the camp carrying destruction and death.”

the VDC has named one victim who died by the regime strike.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Abd al Aziz al Ahmad
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–12
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    the aftermath of the airstrike in the camp - by JBC news
  • the aftermath of the airstrike in the camp - by JBC news

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    the aftermath of the airstrike in the camp - by JBC news
  • the aftermath of the airstrike in the camp - by JBC news

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    one of the victim photo - after the airstrike in the camp - by JBC news

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A photo was taken by one of the residents of the camp and given to Syria direct website.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    the aftermath of the airstrike in the camp - by JBC news

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Photo of wounded kid from camp

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Ubin IDP Camp (مخيم أوبين), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.800556, 36.155278. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown
Official source

Russia confirms in its report covering November 6th-9th 2015 carrying out strikes in Lattakia governorate: “In the course of the last three days, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 137 combat sorties engaging 448 terrorist objects in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Lattakia, Raqqah, Hama and Homs provinces.”

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–12
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS299

Incident date

December 22, 2015

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr al Shughour, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

Between five and eight civilians including one to five women and four children were killed – and several other injured – in an alleged Russian airstrike on Bdama, Jisr al Shughour, according to multiple sources.

Reports by the Shaam News Network said that Russian warplanes targeted the town with two vacuum missiles, leading to the death of one woman, her three children and her fourth unborn child.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that five women were killed in the attack, three from the same family

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmad Omer al-Jamal
Adult male killed
Mohammad Kamal
Adult male killed
Mohammad Ali Haj Ahmad
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 8
  • (4 children1–5 women3 men)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Fires blaze as White Helmets rescue a man from site of alleged Russian strike on Bdama, Dec 22nd (via White Helmets)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A baby killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on December 22nd 2015. (via, SNN)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Another girl killed by alleged Russian airstrikes on 22nd December 2015. (via, SNN)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    White Helmets carry the bodies of deceased children from the scene. (via, SNN)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An injured man carried from the scene by the White Helmets in Jisr al Shughour. (via, SNN)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A girl's body being carried from the scene. (via, SNN)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

For December 18th-23rd, Russia reported that “In the course of five days, on December 18-23, aircraft of the Aerospace Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 302 combat sorties engaging 1093 objects in the Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Homs and Deir ez-Zor provinces.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 8
  • (4 children1–5 women3 men)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS427

Incident date

January 20, 2016

Location

شقرة, Shaqra, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

35.3917089, 40.1224566 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between six and eight civilians were killed when Russian warplanes allegedly targeted a funeral following a previous airstrike on Shaqra on January 20th.

Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently reported that on the first incident in Shaqra on this day (listed above) in which “Fayez Al Shokan, five members of the Al Hayess family, Khaled Al Fadila, Firas Thabet Al Zarra’a and Mohammad Al Ka’oud” died when a house in mourning was targeted. They go on to say that while the family were burying these victims, “Russian planes targeted the funeral procession killing Muhannad Al Ali Saleh”.

According to the Shaam News Network, following the strike on the house of in mourning, “Russian aviation came back and targeted a funeral killing and wounding more people, the numbers of those are not yet known.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said six died.

Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that at least eight non-combatants died and 15 were injured in a raid by “suspected Russian warplanes” who “launched 4 rockets on a mourning location“.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Muhannad Al Ali Saleh
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    15
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

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 20 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Deir ez-Zor governorate: “In the course of the last day, aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 16 combat sorties engaging 57 objects of terrorists’ infrastructure.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    15
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3846

Incident date

June 26, 2019

Location

المزارع المحيطة بمدينة ادلب,, farms surrounding the city Idlib, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported varying numbers of civilians were killed and wounded when  airstrikes struck the outskirts of Idlib.

According to Macro Media, three civilians were killed in the raid.

Shabab Al Latamina, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Ariha Today reported a higher death toll of four civilian fatalities. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added that they were displaced. According to Ariha Today, three men and a woman were killed and two children and a man were wounded.

Shabab Al Latamina blamed the Syrian regime for the attack, while Step News reported that the air and artillery strikes were carried out by the Russian and Syrian regime combined.

Syria Civil Defence reported: “Four civilians, one of whom was a woman, were killed, two children, and a man were wounded in the western city of Idlib, as a result of five air strikes that targeted civilian farms near the town of Arab Saeed”

Local Coordination Committee of Syria put the death toll at six civilians killed while Syria Liveua Map reported as many as eight civilians were killed.

Several of these sources reported the use of rockets, Orient said they were vacuum missiles.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Zahraa Ahmed Sharif Al Halabi
Age unknown female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 8
  • (1 woman3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Syrian Civil Defense teams at the scene after an airstrike struck Idlib province on June 26th (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • Syrian Civil Defense teams carrying one of the victims of an airstrike struck Idlib province on June 26th (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • Syrian Civil Defense teams carrying one of the victims of an airstrike struck Idlib province on June 26th (via Syrian Civil Defense).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Syrian Civil Defense teams carrying the body of one of the victims of an airstrike struck Idlib province on June 26th (via Syrian Civil Defense).

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
    3 – 8
  • (1 woman3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS938 RS2278

Incident date

June 9, 2017

Location

جديد عكيدات, Jadid Akeidat, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

35.254309, 40.355344 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as eight civilians, as well as six named which including medical personnel died, and others were wounded in an airstrike on Jadid Akeidat village, Deir Ez-Zour, according to local media – though reports were conflicted as to whether the US-led Coalition, the Syrian regime or Russia were responsible for the attacks. Sources reported that the strike had been on a “makeshift field hospital”, which some reports said was inside a mosque.

Qasioun put the death toll at three, while Jisr TV said as many as eight died when “Coalition forces targeted a mosque and a hospital”. According to Smart News Agency, four were killed, including “two doctors and an anesthesiologist”. It also blamed the Coalition.

However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights attributed the event to the regime. It reported that “Syrian regime warplanes fired missiles on the makeshift hospital in Jdeed Ekidat village in Deir Ez-Zour governorate eastern suburbs, killing a number of medical personnel, destroying the hospital’s building and rendering it inoperable”.

According to RFS, “eyewitnesses confirmed that at least four civilians were killed and a number of others injured by unidentified warplanes targeting a field hospital inside a mosque in the new town of Akidat, located in the eastern suburb of Deir al-Azur last night.”

But in an initial report, Baladi blamed Russia, reporting that “our correspondent, Murad Al-Ahmad, said that all indicators and military observers in Idlib confirmed that Russian aircraft targeted the hospital, resulting in the killing of most of the medical staff”. Euphrates Post also attributed the event to Russia and identified four victims by name.

However, there was some confusion in reporting, with a second Baladi report pointing towards the Coalition: “Local media sources said four civilians were killed Friday morning, including two doctors and a nurse, in air raids by an international coalition targeted at a mosque in the village of New al-Akidat”.

Free Deir Ezzor merely blamed “warplanes” and identified to victims.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Dr. Majid al-Alwan
Adult male killed
Dr. Hudhayfah al-Mulla
Adult male  from the town of Al Dahla killed
Abdul Rahman Al-Hermash “Rahmo”
Adult male The anesthesiologist  killed
Anas Ali al-Sawadi
Adult male killed
Dr. Hathifa Turki al Makhlaf
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 8
  • 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
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Video saying that Anas Ali al-Sawadi died in contested airstrikes targeting Jadid Akida, Deir Ez-Zour, 9th June 2017. (via Mmkfld1)
  • The contested airstrikes reportedly destroyed the Grand Mosque in the town of Jadid Akidat, Der Ez-Zour, 9th June 2017. (via Euphrates Post Facebook)
CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Jadid Akeidat, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFV237016
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018

  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For June 7th-8th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle.”

Additionally, the Coalition reported that "five strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 6 that closed within the last 24 hours", one of these: "Near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, one strike destroyed four ISIS oil tanks"

For June 8th-9th: no strikes were publicly reported in Deir Ez-Zour governorate.

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

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 8
  • 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
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]