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

R4562

Incident date

October 3, 2023

Location

سرمين, Outskirts of Sarmin, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On October 3rd, 2023, a man and a woman, Mohammed Sadek and Asoum Nahbhan were injured by alleged Syrian regime and/or Russian artillery shelling in the outskirts of Sarmin in the eastern countryside of Idlib. Asoum Nahbahn was reportedly moderately injured in the flank while Mohammed Sadek’s injury was described as slight.

The belligerent’s identity is contested, with some sources naming the Syrian regime forces, other sources the Russian military, and some naming both jointly. One Twitter/X post said the artillery shellings came from Assad’s forces “stationed at the surrounding checkpoints”.

Artillery shells reportedly touched the vicinity of the “Hussein Haj Aboud” primary school during official teaching hours. Baladi news reported that teachers had to end classes immediately after the incident for safety reasons and that the artillery shelling “created a great state of terror among the students and families.” The news correspondent claimed that while civilians at the school hadn’t been physically impacted, the external walls were damaged.

Several images taken by the Syrian Civil Defence show civilian homes affected by the attack, with some parts being demolished. Photos also show a tractor which allegedly caught on fire due to the artillery shells. Moreover, a gas station and a car dealership office were reportedly damaged by the incident.

Syrian Civil Defence intervened on the same day. According to two Twitter/X posts, the two injured were transferred to a hospital in Idlib.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammed Sadek محمد صادق
Age unknown male injured
Asoum Nahbhan أسوم نبهان
Age unknown female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Education,Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (27) [ collapse]

  • Source: @AlTareek22
  • Source: @A_H_M_A_D50
  • Source: @A_H_M_A_D50
  • Source: @A_H_M_A_D50
  • Source: @A_H_M_A_D50
  • Source: @Ahmad_1alshble
  • Source: @Najdat567
  • Source: @Najdat567
  • Source: @Najdat567
  • Source: @Najdat567
  • Source: @creativenewssy
  • Source: @creativenewssy
  • Source: @creativenewssy
  • Source: @VedengAgency1
  • Source: @VedengAgency1
  • Source: @VedengAgency1
  • Source: @VedengAgency1
  • Source: @nbraas_08
  • Source: @syrianewsag
  • Source: @OrientNews
  • Source: Baladi news
  • Source: @aljazeeramubashe news
  • Source: Sarmin

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Education,Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1965

Incident date

March 12, 2017

Location

عقيربات, Akeirbat, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.0412099, 37.464692 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were wounded by alleged Russian airstrike in Akeirbat. One source named Russia as the belligerent responsible, and the other did not name a belligerent. 

A local source, @tayyeal91aa, tweeted that there were more than 20 air raids in the vicinity, resulting in civilian injuries, in a bombing which reportedly targeted ISIS headquarters. The source didn’t identify the culprit.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • 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, Unknown

Sources (2) [ 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 specific strikes between March 1st - 31st 2017.

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • 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, Unknown

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2209C

Incident date

May 1, 2017

Location

مسراب, Masraba, Eastern Ghouta, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.55027, 36.39659 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In this single-source event, Al Jazeera reported that joint Russian and Assad regime forces carried out aerial shelling in Masraba, Eastern Ghouta, possibly wounding several civilians.

According to Al Jazeera, there were several casualties and “dozens” of wounded across several incidents around Eastern Ghouta on May 1st, but it gave no specific casualty figures for Masraba.

Currently, no further information is available.

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
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

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 May 1st - 31st 2017.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3598

Incident date

March 11, 2019

Location

كفرزيتا,, Kafr Zeita, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.3747033, 36.5923691 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were wounded in an alleged regime or Russian artillery or rocket strike on Kafr Zeita, according to sources on the ground.

The Local Coordination Committees of Syria reported that “two civilians were wounded as a result of artillery shelling targeting the town of Kfar Zeita in the northern suburbs of Hama.” Facebook page Kafar Zeita identified the injured as Abdul Karim Salloum and Mohammed Al Karim.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was among many sources blaming the regime. However, Kafar Zeita pointed to Russia, reporting that “about 70 shells from the Russian camps in Kubaybat, Al Kabriya and Al Trabayah hit the city [Kafar Zeita] since the middle of last night [March 10th]. The shelling has so far wounded two people.”

Mahmoud Al Hamwi posted a video of shelling on Youtube, reporting it as “shelling of the checkpoints  by the regime ‘s militia on the town of Kafr Zeita, in the countryside of Hama.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abdul Karim Salloum عبد الكريم السلوم
Adult male 'lightly wounded' injured
Mohammed Al-Karim محمد الكريمش
Adult male 'lightly wounded' injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Abdul Karim Salloum, wounded in an alleged regime or Russian strike on Kafr Zeita, March 11th (via Kafar Zeita)
  • TranslatioN: 'Scenes of the rocket attack on the city of Kafar Zeita, north of Hama'
  • Video posted on Youtube of alleged "Israeli shelling of the checkpoints of the regime 's militia on the town of Kafr Zeita, in the countryside of Hama" (via Mahmoud Al Hamwi).

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
    Artillery
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS012

Incident date

October 2, 2015

Location

مَعَرَّة النُّعْمَان, Maarat al Numan, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.647038, 36.679174 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to the Syrian Observatory, “Russian warplanes carried out airstrikes on several places at the town of al-Ghadqa in the countryside of Maarat al Numan in the eastern countryside of Idlib, and we have information about injuries to several people, including paramedics from the civil defence.”

While no other sources reported the attack, the Russian MoD has confirmed strikes in the near vicinity.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Footage of the Russian strike near the town of al-Ghadqa in the countryside of Maarat al Numan. (via Russian Defence)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

The Kremlin noted that for October 2nd 2015, “At Maarrat Al-Nuuman (Idlib), Su-25 attack aircraft completely destroyed a large workshop aimed for production of bombs and improvised explosive devices and disguised as a plant for gas cylinders.Terrorist base for armament and military equipment was also eliminated. As a result of an air strike, over ten pieces of military hardware including infantry fighting vehicles were burnt down.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3638

Incident date

May 1, 2019

Location

المشيرفة, Mushayrifah, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

One woman and between one and four children were reported wounded when a Russian aircraft struck the village of Al Mushayrifah in rural Idlib in the morning of May 1st. The Syrian Civil Defense forces reported that the children were struck by a “rocket-propelled grenade”.

HalabTodayTV and Syria.liveuamap pointed to Russia as the culprit.

Smarts said that locals had told its correspondent that four civilian including two children wounded.

Baladi published a video including an interview with the brother of the owner of the house that was hit. At 0’12” the man says:  “This morning, Russian planes carried out raids on the house of my brother Ahmad while he was away getting produce and vegetables for his shop. Thank God his older kids were at school sitting exams . The house was totally destroyed, injuring my sister in law and four of my brother’s kids. Thank God the injuries were light but some are still at hospital and thanks be to God. My house was also damaged a bit but my brother’s house was worse, as you can see there is nothing left of it”.

At 0’12” in a video published by Orient, the reporter says: “An air raid by Russian occupation forces targeted civilian neighbourhoods in Al Msheirfa village in the countryside of Jisr al Shoughour west of Idlib which led to the injury of five people, a mother and four of her kids who were under this building. They were pulled out and taken to medical points.”

At 0’38” in the video there’s an interview with the owner of the house that was hit. The man is filmed carrying one of his injured children. He says: “I got in the car and left and I came across someone in the road. I asked him where the plane hit and he told me that it was my house. I came back and found that they were all taken to hospital and thank God the almighty. Now I have a one year old girl in Idlib [perhaps being treated? Doesn’t say] and the rest are back here and they’re all well, thank God. That’s what happened and thank God.”

At 1’15” in the interview there’s testimony from someone who helped with the rescue operation: “When the raid happened we ran over here. We found the kids and women here under the rubble. The house had collapsed completely there was nothing left of it and they were all underneath. We pulled the kids out and ran over to the car. The mother then came over looking for her daughter. She had lost her young daughter so we went and looked for her and found her under the rubble and took her then to hospital”.

Elnashra’s correspondent in Syria reported that “the Syrian air force intensified its targeting since the morning [of May 1st] on the sites of the terrorist organization of al Nusra Front with dozens of raids in the town of Mashirfa in the countryside of the province of Idlib West and in the vicinity of the village of Ma’arshourin in the southern countryside”. But this source made no claims of civilian harm from these regime strikes.

 

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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 (22) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (21) [ collapse]

  • Destruction in the village of Al Mushayrifah, allegedly caused by a rocket-propelled grenade on May 1st (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • An injured child following an alleged Russian airstrike on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via Orient)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via Orient)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via Orient)
  • A wounded civilian is carried to safety by a member of the White Helmets following an alleged Russia airstrike on Mushayrifah, May 1st 2019 (via Alsouria)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of shelling on Mushayrifah, May 1st (via White Helmets)
  • "The effects of the destruction resulting from a Russian air raid on the village of Almashirfah in Jisr al-Shughour in Idlib"
  • "Russian occupation airliner targets the village of Mashirfa west of Idlib"

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
    2–5
  • 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 (22) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3745

Incident date

June 1, 2019

Location

ايكاردا, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) , Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

Civilians were reportedly injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) near Aleppo on June 1st, 2019, according to local sources.

Al Jazeera wrote that “opposition sources said that Russian and Syrian aircraft targeted the city of Atarib, the village of Barqoum and the ICARDA area of ​​Aleppo countryside, which resulted in injuries to civilians.” Shaam News Network also reported injured civilians in the ICARDA area.

@MasarPressNet tweeted: “#Aleppo: Missile strikes on the ICARDA area, the village of Barqoum and the city of Atarib in the southern countryside.”

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
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military 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
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3801

Incident date

June 14, 2019

Location

الزكاة, Al Zakat, Hama, Syria

Airwars assessment

A single source reported that an unknown number of civilians were wounded when Russian and Syrian regime forces carried out airstrikes on the town of Al Zakat, Hama governorate, on June 14th, 2019.

Step News wrote that “Russian and Syrian regime aircraft, with more than 15 airstrikes, targeted the cities of Al Latamina, Kafr Zita, and the outskirts of Zakat, north of Hama, and wounded civilians, while the regime forces bombed heavy artillery from the Russian camp south of Halfaya, targeting the city of Kafar Zeita in the northern Hama countryside.”

Currently, further details are unavailable to Airwars.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ 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
    Single source claim
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]