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

RS085

Incident date

October 27, 2015

Location

أم ميال, Um Mayyal, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.39415, 37.40038 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In a contested event, four named women and men were reported killed in an airstrike at Um Mayyal. While Violations Documentation Center, the Syrian Network and others blamed Russia, the opposition Syria News Desk – which said three homes were destroyed in the incident – said the attack was the work of Assad regime aircraft.

The Syrian Network later published eyewitness testimony from Hassan Al Ahmad, manager of the Child Care Organization, who visited the site: “I was 1.5 km away from the shelling location and went directly to see what happened. I saw a group of young men from the civil defense trying to tell the crowds to leave the shelling site out of fear from being shelled again. The council was shelled previously and the schools suffered from great damage, and four young men were injured Our city is run by local civilian committees and is free of any military presence for any group as all headquarters were evacuated according to the residents’ demands. However, the Russian warplanes launched their airstrikes on civilians.”

The dead were later named.

The Syrian Network said four young men were injured in the attack – but made no mention of fatalities.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Khlaif Shahoud al-Hekari
Adult male killed
Shahoud Khlaif al-Hekari
Adult male killed
Fatima Khlaif al-Hekari
Adult female killed

The victims were named as:

Dahlia
Adult female 52 year old killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (2 women2 men)
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Um Myal (أم ميال), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.39415, 37.40038. 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

The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed carrying out airstrikes in Hama governorate on October 27th-28th 2015: “For 24 hours, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 71 combat sorties engaging 118 terrorist objects in the Idlib, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and Lattakia 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
  • (2 women2 men)
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS086

Incident date

October 27, 2015

Location

قبر الأنكليزي, Kabr al Inglizi, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.2613693, 37.0926118 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four civilians were reported killed in Kabr al Inglizi (‘Tomb of the English’) in an alleged strike by Russia. According to the White Helmets “Civil defence removed the bodies of four martyrs and several wounded following Russian bombing with vacuum missiles.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Rescuers retrieve casyualties of an alleged Russian airstrike at Kadr al Inglizi, Oct 27th (via White Helmets)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed carrying out airstrikes in Aleppo governorate on October 27th-28th 2015: “For 24 hours, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 71 combat sorties engaging 118 terrorist objects in the Idlib, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and Lattakia provinces.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS082

Incident date

October 27, 2015

Location

تل هادية, Tal Hadya, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

35.99595, 36.93908 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least nine civilians were reported killed – including five children and two women – in an alleged Russian strike on the town of Tal Hayda. Early reports claimed the strike involved cluster munitions.

Aleppo White Helmets noted at the time “Civil defence teams pulled out… 11 martyrs from Tal Hadya and dozens of injured.” And according to All4Syria “Field sources also reported that Russian aircraft launched several air strikes on the village of Tal Hadya in the southern countryside of Aleppo, killing eleven civilians, including four children and three women, in addition to more than twenty wounded.

Violations Documentation Center later named nine victims.

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Daughter of Firas Abd al-Raheem al-Khashouf 1
Child female killed
Wife of Firas Abd al-Raheem al-Khashouf
Adult female killed
Daughter of Firas Abd al-Raheem al-Khashouf 2
Child female killed

Family members (2)

Wife of Ramzi al-Zaeim
Adult female killed
Son of Ramzi al-Zaeim
Child male killed

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Mustafa Bakkour
Child male killed
Daughter of Hosain al-Dasher
Child female killed
Naji al-Naji
Adult male killed
Daughter of Haytham
Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9 – 11
  • (4–5 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Tal Hadya (تل هادية), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.99595, 36.93908. 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

The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed carrying out airstrikes in Aleppo governorate on October 27th-28th 2015: “For 24 hours, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 71 combat sorties engaging 118 terrorist objects in the Idlib, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and Lattakia provinces…

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9 – 11
  • (4–5 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS083

Incident date

October 27, 2015

Location

البوابية, Buwaybiyah, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.012468, 36.890289 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to four civilians including a young girl were reported killed following heavy airstrikes at Al Bawabye which were widely attributed to Russia.

The White Helmets reported that “Civil defence teams pulled out 4 martyrs in Al Bawabiya.”

The Violations Documentation Center later named three fatalities.

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Kaled al-Taleb
Adult male killed
Abdulkareem al-Taleb
Adult male killed
Fatemah al-Taleb
Child female 4 years old

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child2 men)
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Buwaybiyah (البوابية), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.012468, 36.890289. 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

The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed carrying out airstrikes in Aleppo governorate on October 27th-28th 2015: “For 24 hours, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 71 combat sorties engaging 118 terrorist objects in the Idlib, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and Lattakia provinces…

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child2 men)
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS080

Incident date

October 27, 2015

Location

حيان, Hayyan, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.32417, 37.05886 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Media activist Jummah Al Ahmad was one of two civilians killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on Hayyan, according to reports. According to the White Helmets “A mosque was totally destroyed and two civil defence team members injured in Hayyan centre, Ali Hayek and Ahmad Sarraj” in the attack.

A second victim was later named by VDC as Mohammad Yehya Seraj.

In its obituary of Juma al Ahmad (who had died shortly after the airstrike of his injuries), Shabha Press Agency wrote: “He died from wounds sustained by the bombing of the Russian occupation planes on Hayan City on Tuesday evening, during his media work. Abu Noor was born in 1981, he is married and has four children, and worked with the agency Shahba Press since the beginning of its founding year 2013, and covered many of the battles and massacres committed by the Assad regime in Syria.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Jummah Al Ahmad
Adult male Media activist killed
Mohammad Yehya Seraj
Adult male killed
Ali Hayek
Adult male civil defence member injured
Ahmad Sarraj
Adult male civil defence member injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • A mosque at Hayyan said to have been badly damaged in a Russian airstrike (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of bombing Hayyan (via White Helmets)
  • two civil defence team members were injured in Hayyan centre ((via White Helmets)
  • Juma Al Ahmad, media activist born in Hayan town in 1981. (via SNHR)
  • Jummah Al Ahmad (via VDC)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Mohammad Yehya Seraj (via VDC)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed carrying out airstrikes in Aleppo governorate on October 27th-28th 2015: “For 24 hours, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 71 combat sorties engaging 118 terrorist objects in the Idlib, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and Lattakia provinces…

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)
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS081

Incident date

October 27, 2015

Location

حريتان, Hraytan, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.287032, 37.08332 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Eight named civilians were killed and a number injured in a reported Russian night-time airstrike at Hraytan, near Aleppo.

The White Helmets – whose teams worked through the night to retrieve the dead and injured, reported: “Civil Defence team pulls out seven martyrs and several injured following Russian bombardement with vacuum missiles.

Hraytan City, an opposition site, later published the names of eight people it said had died in the attack.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Haytham Ismail Quraifi
Adult male killed
Mohammad Masha’el
Adult male 65 years old killed
Abdullah Haytham Al Quraifi
Child male 10 years old killed
Mohammad Ghazal
Adult male killed
Mohammad Mustapha Abdo
Adult male killed
Mohammad Abdo
Adult male killed
Ahmad Ghazal
Adult male killed
Khudar Bin Ali Hamsho
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • (1 child7 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
    Unknown

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Rescuers at Hraytan October 27th (via Shaam News Network)
  • Civil Defence team pulls out 7 martyrs and several injured following Russian bombardment with vacuum missiles on the area of Assya in northern countryside. [Assya is in Hraytan] (via Majed Ahmad)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Title: Shaam Aleppo countryside. Scenes from the Russian raids on the town of Hraytan and the search for martyrs by the civil defence team 27/10/2015 (via SNN)
  • The work to remove the martyrs from under the rubble following the targeting of Russian planes of the neighbourhoods of the town of Hraytan with several raids. (via SNN)
  • The work to remove the martyrs from under the rubble following the targeting of Russian planes of the neighbourhoods of the town of Hraytan with several raids. (via SNN)
  • one of the children wounded in the Russian strikes on the city (via Hretan facebook)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Hraytan (حريتان), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.287032, 37.08332. 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

The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed carrying out airstrikes in Aleppo governorate on October 27th-28th 2015: “For 24 hours, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 71 combat sorties engaging 118 terrorist objects in the Idlib, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and Lattakia provinces…

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • (1 child7 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
    Unknown

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS079

Incident date

October 26, 2015

Location

كفرنبل‎, Kafr Nabil, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.6152326, 36.560955 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A suspected Russian airstrike on the town of Kafr Nabil killed a father and his daughter while injuring the mother and son, according to reports. The dead were later named by Violations Documentation Center as Hatem Khaled al-Khatieb and his 12-year old daughter Diaa Hatem al Khatieb.

However Mr al-Khatieb was later named by All4Syria as a fighter with the rebel group Ahrar Al Sham.

Activist Raed Al Fares, from Kafr Nabil, told the Syrian Network: “A number of Russian warplanes were hovering around in the sky and each went in a different direction. When I rushed to the shelling site, the residents told me that a rocket targeted one of houses. The top floor was completely destroyed and the ground floor was greatly damaged. Also I was told that there were some injured people who have fallen. I went to the hospital and saw the injured residents. A father and his 12 years old daughter were killed and three others from the same family were injured The house is located in the western neighbourhood of Kafr nabel and it is free of any military presence next to it. We have monitoring devices which enabled us to hear the pilots talking to each other in Russian and that is how we knew they were Russians.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Hatem Khaled al-Khatieb
Adult male killed
Diaa Hatem al Khatieb
Child female Mr al-Khatieb was later named by All4Syria as a fighter with the rebel group Ahrar Al Sham killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

  • Scene of two fatalities at Kafr Neul October 25th, following an alleged Russian airstrike (via Kefr Nabul News Network)
  • Hatem Khaled Al Khateeb Kafrnabl (via News Network facebook)
  • Photo of Mohammad Hatem Khatib (via All4Syria)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

The Russian Defence Ministry issued no public update for strikes on October 26th-27th 2015.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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

RS078

Incident date

October 25, 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

According to the White Helmets in Aleppo, “Russian warplanes bomb the towns of Al Bab and Tadef yesterday evening with several raids using vacuum missiles – leaving several dead and dozens wounded and homes destroyed.” Other reports described two raids on Tadef and one on Al Bab.

Radio Al Kul attributed the attacks to the Syrian regime, and also said that while there were no fatalities in Tadef, three civilians had been killed at al Bab.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Daesh propaganda of a child injured in an airstrike on Al Bab October 25th 2015 (via A'maq)
  • Translation: #Aleppo 3 martyrs and many injured following warplane shelling on the town of al bab.
  • Translation: the fall of three civilians and more than twenty wounded following a raid by a warplane on the town of al bab.
  • Translation: Urgent - Aleppo news correspondent: Russian agression planes targeting the city of al bab with several air raids using vacuum missiles.
  • translation: three martyrs and many injured civilians following regime warplane shelling of the city of al bab.

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

The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed carrying out airstrikes in Aleppo governorate on October 25th-26th 2015. “In the course of the last 24 hours, the Russian air group carried out 59 sorties engaging 94 terrorist objects in the Hama, Idlib, Lattakia, Damascus, Aleppo, 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
    3
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]