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

RS192

Incident date

November 26, 2015

Location

سرمدا, Sarmada, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

36.214950, 36.712220 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Street level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to Zaitonmag, Russian aircraft carried out a raid on Sarmada on the Turkish border, “targeting a garage of relief trucks which has led to anonymous martyrs and two people slightly injured.

The Syrian Network also reported the event, saying the attack by warplanes destroyed eight trucks and a water tank and killed one person. It also cited ‘Shareef’, a media activist from the town: “The shelling targeted a civilian area on the international highway between Sarmada and Bab Al Hawa crossing point where there were a group of fuel stations, warehouses and freight vehicles. Russian warplanes launched the airstrike, and I was able to differentiate it from the Syrian shelling.”

 

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
    Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the strike hit a location along the highway between the Bab Al Hawa crossing (منفذ باب الهوى) and the village of Sarmada (سرمدا). The coordinates for the road between Bab Al Hawa crossing and Sarmada are: 36.214950, 36.712220. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • International highway M45 between Sarmada and Bab Al Hawa. Imagery: Google Earth

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown

Russia reports that “On November 23-26, aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces performed 134 combat sorties engaging 449 objects in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Raqqah and Deir-ez-Zor provinces.”

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
    Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS193 CS152

Incident date

November 26, 2015

Location

الخفسة, Khafsa, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.23333, 38.01667 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Seven civilians were killed and several injured in an alleged Russian, Assad regime or Coalition airstrikes on Al Khafasa.

According to Shaam News Network, significant damage was caused to a water purification plant in the village, after seven raids. It said the plant provided water to most of the Aleppo neighbourhoods. It was additionally claimed that “Russian planes also targeted the water pumping plant near the town of Masskana.” Radio Al Kul and the Syrian News Desk also blamed Russia.

Smart News instead described the attack as the work of the Assad regime: “Seven civilians were killed this morning, in two regime raids targeting the drinking water treatment plant in the village of Al Khafsa east of Aleppo, according to our correspondent.

Confusing matters further, the official regime site Sana and pro-regime site Almjhar blamed the Coalition: “American planes targeted Daesh militants in al Khafsa in Aleppo yesterday which caused problems at the water plant. Work has started to repair the equipment.”

In their January 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, US-led Coalition, Syrian Regime

Sources (9) [ collapse]

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

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown

Russia reports that “On November 23-26, aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces performed 134 combat sorties engaging 449 objects in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Raqqah and Deir-ez-Zor provinces.”

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
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDA116103
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 3, 2020
  • November 26, 2015, in Khafsa, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2883/CS152 37SDA116103

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, US-led Coalition, Syrian Regime

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS189

Incident date

November 25, 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

Two to three civilians were reported killed and several others injured (“most of them women and children”) in an alleged Russian air raid with vacuum missiles on the town of Jisr al Shughour, according to Radio Alkul. The local media organisation additionally reported that “The town was also struck by more than 50 rockets from Joreen camp [regime-controlled] which led to the death of one man and one woman.”

SHRC named one victim of a Russian strike. It also names four additional civilians killed by the regime.

The VDC also named another man as having been killed in the town, but blames “regime air forces’ shelling of Rabea Adawiye school.” Syria Net instead blamed the school attack on Russia, saying it killed one person and injured eight.

All4Syria blamed both the regime and Russia, noting: “Field sources reported that Russian aircraft flew over the countryside of Idlib in flocks, and carried out raids on the city targeting one of the city’s mosques and Rabea school, nearby houses and the city centre, killing three civilians including Abdel Halim Mohamed Sulaiman (44 years old.) Also wounded were more than a dozen civilians, including two women and three children in the school. This was followed a few hours later by regime forces stationed in the Goren camp in Hama targeting most of the city’s neighbourhoods. This killed two civilians and wounded others. Among those killed were Nasser Mohammed Bakri (45 years old) and his wife Susan (36 years).”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male named by SHRC killed
Adult male named by vdc killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (2–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8
  • 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 (2) [ collapse]

  • The moment an airstrike hit Jisr al-Shughour, Nov 25th (via JMC)
  • The Civil Defense attend the scene of an airstrike in Jisr al-Shughour, Nov 25th (via Syrian Civil Defense in Idlib Governorate)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia reports that “On November 23-26, aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces performed 134 combat sorties engaging 449 objects in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Raqqah and Deir-ez-Zor provinces.”

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
    2 – 3
  • (2–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8
  • 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

RS190

Incident date

November 25, 2015

Location

أعزاز‎, A`zaz, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.579644, 37.033206 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Eight non-combatants including a child were reported killed in alleged Russian warplanes targeted trucks in the town of Azaz.

Russian planes launched several rockets on a civilian area, hitting freight trucks 2km from Bab Al Salameh on the Syrian-Turkish border. The Syrian Network said the vehicles specialised in transporting foodstuff to and from the crossing, and that no less than eight freight cars were destroyed.

Majed Al Halabi, a local media activist in Izaz, gave SN4HR his testimony: “The Russian warplane hovered around next to Bab Al Salama crossing point then it fired two vacuum rockets on the gathering of freight vehicles. I knew that the shelling was Russian due to the FSA observatories that pick up signals between a warplane and the military base. The shelling ignited a fire in the freight cars that gathered on the north-western side of the city. The civil defence teams arrived and pulled out the victims’ bodies from under the rubble and transported them to Ezzaz National Hospital. The critical cases were transported to Turkey’s  hospitals.”

SN4HR named three victims

Also, VDC has named the following fatalities, all adult males.

Russia has accepted responsibility for the attack though not the civilian casualties: “Messages of some foreign media concerning the alleged engagement of a column of trucks of a “humanitarian convoy” from Turkey near the border-crossing point Bab Al-Salam by the Russian aircraft are also nothing but stovepiping. It is to be stressed that the photos and videos published in the Internet:

* first, do not show any craters of exploded munitions;

* second, do not feature any fragmentations, which could damage all the trucks, as a result of strikes.

* finally, there are no remains of the mere munitions.

That is why they are advised not to pose convoys with ammunition for militants active to the north of Aleppo as “humanitarian help”. By the way, the Turkish party had not given any notice concerning delivering of any humanitarian convoy in this area. Aside from the fact that any humanitarian convoy is specially marked.”

As an Al Jazeera reporter on the scene noted, Russia’s attack may have had a political motive: “The raid focused on the industrial area which according to the civil defence we spoke to earlier, has led to critical injuries and the destruction of several trucks that were here. This is the first time that the border area has been targeted and it has come after Turkey downed a Russian plane in the Lattakia countryside yesterday.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Adult male (22 years old) from Taqtad killed
Adult male (19 years) of Dara Aza killed

The victims were named as:

Age unknown named by SN4HR - 15 years old from Al Raqqa killed
Adult male named by SN4HR killed
Age unknown named by SN4HR killed
Age unknown male named by VDC killed
Age unknown named by VDC killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • (1 child7 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Burning trucks in the aftermath of an alleged Russian strike at Izzaz, November 25th (via SN4HR)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Izzaz, November 25th (via ShaamNews SNN)
  • The moments immediately after the strike (via Izzaz Media Office)
  • 'Azazaz - Russian warplanes launched intensive air strikes on towns in the northern countryside of Aleppo, resulting in deaths and injuries. The shelling targeted the town of A'zaz on the Syrian-Turkish border. The raids also included the towns of Hreitan, Oban, Hayyan and Bianun. Report: Amr Halabi' (via north press)
  • 'Dead and wounded by Russian raids on Aazaz countryside, Aleppo' (via Al Jazeera TV)

Geolocation notes (4) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention an airstrike targeting a convoy of trucks parked at a facility in western A’zaz (أعزاز‎). After investigating audio-visual material from sources, we narrowed this location to a strip of tarmac just south of the city’s Agricultural Bank, for which the exact coordinates are: 36.579644, 37.033206.

  • A screenshot from an on-scene video shows men walking toward the burning trucks.

    Imagery:
    Shaam Network

  • An image from the scene shows the trucks burning at the facility.

    Imagery:
    North Press

  • Satellite imagery shows the features marked in the on-scene pictures. Note that feature F refers to the location where the pavement of the trucking facility ends and the dirt road begins.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Overhead imagery shows the exact location of the airstrike.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown

Confirmed in its report for November 23rd-26th 2015.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • (1 child7 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Incident Code

RS188

Incident date

November 22, 2015

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

The Violations Documentation Center listed one adult male civilian, a Palestinian national, as killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on Douma.

However, the VDC listed seven further civilians killed that day in Douma “due to regime`s army forces shelling.” And the Syrian Observatory cites the Assad regime as being responsible for the event.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male named by VDC 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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia confirmed the following for November 21st-23rd 2015: “Aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces have performed 141 combat sorties engaging 472 terrorist objects in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Raqqah, and Deir ez-Zor provinces.”

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

Incident Code

RS186

Incident date

November 21, 2015

Location

حي القصيلة, Qosaileh, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.19559, 37.16512 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between four and six non-combatants, including two or more children, were reported killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on Qosaileh, according to The White Helmets and the Violations Documentation Center. The Halab News Network posted a video showing the destruction of houses and other buildings, as a team of White Helmets searched for survivors.

VDC has been named four victims, and additionally, the Syrian Human Rights Committee called the fifth victim as unidentified.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Yahiya Hussein Mazik
Child male 4 years old killed
Abd al Rahman Hussein Mazik
Child male 12 years old killed
From al-Mzayek family 3
Adult male killed
From al-Mzayek family 4
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 6
  • (2–3 children2 men)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Rescuers examine scene of AN alleged Russian airstrike in Qosaileh, November 21st (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Qosaileh, Nov 21st (via @Mojahedaboaljod tweet)
  • The White Helmets attend the scene of the alleged Russian airstrike on Qosaileh , Nov 21st

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia confirmed the following for November 21st-23rd 2015: “Aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces have performed 141 combat sorties engaging 472 terrorist objects in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Raqqah, and Deir ez-Zor.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 6
  • (2–3 children2 men)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS187

Incident date

November 21, 2015

Location

الباب, Al Bab, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.371972, 37.51631 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Seven civilians were reported killed in an airstrike on Al Bab by Russia or the Assad regime.

According to the Syrian Observatory, the deaths occurred after a bakery was struck.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Al Bab (الباب), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.371972, 37.51631. 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

Russia confirmed the following for November 21st-23rd 2015: “Aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces have performed 141 combat sorties engaging 472 terrorist objects in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Raqqah, and Deir ez-Zor provinces.”

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS185

Incident date

November 21, 2015

Location

نوى, Nawa, Dara'a, Syria

Geolocation

32.89044, 36.0399 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two named civilians were killed in an alleged Russian and also claimed that the Assad regime was responsible for the attack on Da’ara Street in Nawa, Da’ara governorate.

The Violation Documentation Center in Syria named the two victims, and they were both from Kafr Shams.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male named by VDC killed
Adult male named by VDC killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • 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 (2) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of alleged regime strikes on Nawa, Nov 21st (via ShaamNetwork S.N.N)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A photo of the corpse of Yehya al-Sadi (via VDC)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia confirmed the following for November 21st-23rd 2015: “Aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces have performed 141 combat sorties engaging 472 terrorist objects in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Raqqah, and Deir ez-Zor.” It made no mention of strikes in Da’ara.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • 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]