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

R4464

Incident date

September 3, 2022

Location

الفطيرة, Al Fatira, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least one elderly woman was injured when alleged Russian or regime artillery shelling struck the town of Al Fatira on September 3, 2022.

According to @SyriaCivilDefe, an elderly woman was injured by artillery shelling carried out by the regime and Russian forces on civilian homes in the town of Al Fatira. The Civil Defense volunteers took the injured elderly woman to the hospital.

A tweet from @Amaar77Dyab referred to “civilian casualties” in Al Fatira but did not specify how many and whether they were injured or killed.

@abojrhom, a pro-regime source, tweeted that the shelling targeted the “locations and movements of terrorists” without providing details of who was killed or injured.

Activist Mustafa Muhammad told Al Araby that the Syrian regime forces intensified shelling of various villages and towns including Al Fatira, which coincided with the continuous flight of Russian reconnaissance planes. The majority of other sources that reported on the incident also attributed the shelling to the regime forces, while @Almohrar1 and @ibrahim78197182 attributed the shelling to Russian forces and the Syrian Civil Defense blamed both Russian and regime forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (15) [ 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
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1859

Incident date

January 24, 2017

Location

تدمر‎, Palmyra , Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.569294, 38.291216 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecific number of civilians were wounded – according to on the ground sources – following an alleged Russian raid on Palmyra . All sources blamed Russian warplanes for the raid.

There are no reports of any civilians killed in the fire.

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
    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
Official source

Russia has not reported any specific strikes between January 1st – 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • 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

R4495

Incident date

December 2, 2022

Location

اليونيسية, Obin (Al Younisiya), Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Three civilians, including a child, were killed and up to seven others, including a woman and a child, were injured by alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime guided missile strikes on the village of Obin (Al Younisiya) on December 2, 2022.

The @SyriaCivilDefe reported that three civilians from the same family including a child were killed and five others including a woman and a child were injured by a bombing carried out by Syrian regime and/or Russian forces. The bombing struck a home inhabited by displaced person in the village of Obin (Al Younisiya) and the Civil Defense volunteers took the injured to the hospital to receive treatment.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported a similar casualty count of three civilians killed, including a 15 year old child, and others wounded. Baladi News put the number of civilians killed at three as well and provided their names as Muhammad Al-Aloush, Mahmoud Al-Aloush, and Hamza Al-Aloush (15 years old) and identified six others as being injured, some of them seriously. The Syrian Human Rights Committee put the injury count at seven and added that the dead and injured were displaced from the village of Um al-Khalakhil, in the countryside of Maarat al-Numan, south of Idlib.

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the bombing, with Syrian Human Rights Committee attributing the attack to the Syrian regime while others like Baladi News referred only to the Syrian regime and the “militias supporting it” or the Syrian regime and Russian forces (Syrian Civil Defense). The Syrian Civil Defense identified guided heat missiles as being used in the attack while Baladi News referred to them as anti-tank guided missiles.

Multiple sources pointed out that the village of Obin is located close to the frontlines of regime forces in the northern countryside of Latakia.

The incident occured around midday.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Muhammad Al-Aloush ،محمد محمد العلوش
male killed
Mahmoud Al-Aloush محمود العلوش
male Son of Muhammad Al-Aloush killed
Hamza Al-Aloush حمزة العلوش
15 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–7
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Civil Defense volunteer help civilians injured by alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime strikes on the village of Obin (Al-Yunsiya) on December 2, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Civil Defense volunteer help civilians injured by alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime strikes on the village of Obin (Al-Yunsiya) on December 2, 2022. (Image posted by Omar Talawi via Facebook)
  • Muhammad Muhammad Al-Aloush Abu Aloush, killed by alleged Russian or Syrian regime missile strikes on the village of Obin on December 2, 2022. (Image posted by The Supreme Council of the Bouassi clan, the Bakara tribe via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime strikes on the village of Obin (Al-Yunsiya) on December 2, 2022. (Image posted by ANews Arabic via Facebook)
  • urgent | The death toll from the regime’s targeting of a house in the village of Obin in the western countryside of Idlib has risen to 3, and others have been injured (@HalabTodayTV)
  • Civil Defense volunteer help civilians injured by alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime strikes on the village of Obin (Al-Yunsiya) on December 2, 2022. (Image posted by @hadikhraat)
  • "Today, Friday, three civilians from the same family, including a child, were killed, and five others were injured, as a result of the Syrian regime forces targeting with a guided missile, a house inhabited by displaced people in the village of #Obin (#Al-Yunsiyah) in the countryside of #Badama, west of #Idlib Governorate, northwestern #Syria" (@AsharqNewsSYR)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–7
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4525

Incident date

July 4, 2023

Location

البارة, Al Bara, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On July 4th, 2023 artillery strikes in the town of Al Bara, south of Idlib, wounded a married couple, and the woman, named Radhya Al-Othman as reported by the Syria Civil Defense, died due to her injuries the next day; allegedly the Syrian regime and/or Russian forces are responsible for the attacks.

After the shelling, the Syria Civil Defense responded to treat the couples injuries and civilian ambulance teams transported the husband and wife to medical care. The extent of the man’s injuries and his name have not been found within the sources, and neither the man nor Radhya Al-Othman’s ages can be found. A journalist from Baladi News reported that Al Bara, and the Jabal Al Zawiya area in which Al Bara is located, suffer from a scarcity of medical equipment and medical centres, due to their proximity to “contact lines with the regime forces”.

The Syria Civil Defense alleged the Syrian regime and Russian forces are jointly responsible, Baladi News and the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights alleged the Syrian regime is solely responsible, and Al Mohrar alleged that Russian forces were solely responsible. While the alleged location of the responsible forces cannot be found within the sources, Shaam News reported the shelling affected the outskirts of Al Bara in Jabal Al Zawiya.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Radhya Al-Othman رضية العثمان
Age unknown female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Syrian Civil Defense volunteers responded to alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Al Hara on July 4, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Syrian Civil Defense volunteers responded to alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Al Hara on July 4, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Syrian Civil Defense volunteers responded to alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Al Hara on July 4, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Syrian Civil Defense volunteers responded to alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Al Hara on July 4, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Al Hara on July 4, 2023. (Image posted by @Xd60euW24gEtWPp)
  • Alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Al Hara on July 4, 2023. (Image posted by @Almohrar1)

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
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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

R4554

Incident date

September 4, 2023

Location

أرض زراعية على أطراف مدينة سرمين شرقي إدلب, agricultural land on the outskirts of the city of Sarmin, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On September 4th 2023, one civilian was killed and another was severely injured in the city of Sarmin by intensive missile and artillery shelling allegedly by Syrian regime forces and/or Russian forces.

According to Syrian Civil Defense, a civilian named Fadda Ibrahim Al-Muhaimeed, a 12-year old, was killed and her sister Nada Al-Muhaimeed, a 8-year old, sustained various injuries after the intense missile and artillery bombardment, striking the tent they were inhabiting with their family in the agricultural land on the outskirts of Sarmin. Additionally, the Civil Defense team transferred the body of the child and of the injured sister from Sarmin Hospital to Idlib City Hospital and inspected the place of the bombing and secured it.

As mentioned by correspondent Al-Arabiya/ Al-Hadath in Syria, the Syrian regime struck a tent on the outskirts of the city of Sarmin, in the countryside. This is also supported by the statement of the Syrian Network for Human Rights in which it reports that one of the missiles landed next to the tent in which Fadda Ibrahim Al-Muhaimeed lived, causing her death and the injury of her sister Nada Al-Muhaimeed. Multiple local sources mentioned that both of the children were displaced from the town of Afes the day before the bombing due to heavy bombardment in Afes.

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the shelling, with some sources attributing the bombardment to the Syrian regime while others blamed the Russian military, with multiple sources mentioning the use of heavy weapons in the attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Fadda Ibrahim Al-Muhaimeed فضة ابراهيم المحيميد
12 years old female killed
Nada Ibrahim al-Muhaimeed ندى إبراهيم المحيميد
8 years old female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture, IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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
    Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @alking14399969

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: SCD
  • Source: SCD

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: SCD

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: SCD
  • Image of Fadda al-Muhaimeed, 12 years old, killed on September 4, 2023. Source: @Omar_Madaniah

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @Eliass_Ahmed97

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @khaled_mosle

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @TvIdlib

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @TvIdlib

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @TvIdlib

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @TvIdlib

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SN4HR

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Alarabiya news

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ahmad

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 infrastructure
    Agriculture, IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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
    Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2125

Incident date

April 14, 2017

Location

عقيربات , Akeirabat, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

The Step News Agency reported: “Russian warplanes launched two raids targeting the vicinity of Akeirabat  in the eastern Hama countryside, resulting in civilian casualties.”

According to the Smart News Agency, “Three civilians, including a woman, were wounded by artillery shelling of the town of Aqrabat”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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

RS2392

Incident date

August 18, 2017

Location

الحميدية, Hamidiya, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.3301466, 40.1456308 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were injured in an air or artillery strike on Hamidiya. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame. Some blamed the Syrian regime, while others blamed Russia for the raids.

Euphrates Post tweeted later that there were some ” civilian casualties” without specifying a number. 

Halab Today called the raid a Russian air and missile bombardment. RFS called it a land-to-land missile attack, however, they blamed Syrian regime forces. 

There was allegedly some material damage to the neighbourhood.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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 (7) [ 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 August 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
    3
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2778

Incident date

December 2, 2017

Location

الشيخ عقيل, Sheikh Akeel, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.524167, 37.958056 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source reported that alleged Russian warplanes “launched more than five air raids of various types of ammunition on the village of Sheikh Akeel, leaving a number of injured and a large destruction in the residential buildings”.

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
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Sheikh Akeel, 2nd December 2017. (via Aleppo white helmets)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

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 (1) [ collapse]