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

RS3357

Incident date

March 31, 2018

Location

محمبل, Mhambel, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.784376, 36.468902 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

@wateen_media reported that Russian aircraft carried out strikes on “the city of Ariha and the outskirts of the town of Mhambel”, but made ne mention of civilian harm.

According to the Shaam News Agency, “Russian and Regime warplanes launched dozens of very violent air raids on the cities and towns of Idlib, causing dozens of martyrs and wounded civilians”, which resulted in “a number of wounded in Khan Shekhun, Mhambel, Al Naqir, Al habit, Mukah, Al Taman’a ,Al  Khwain and Sefwhen in the southern countryside, Jisr al-Shaghoor, Marj Zuhaour and Al Zyadiya in the western countryside.”

No further details are currently available.

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

Sources (2) [ 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
    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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3566

Incident date

November 6, 2018

Location

دير العدس, Deir Al A'adas, Dara'a, Syria

Geolocation

33.160229, 36.124098 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four children were reportedly injured in the explosion of a cluster bomb from an earlier alleged Russian or Syrian regime air raid on the town of Deir Al A’adas, November 6th, 2018, according to local sources. It is unclear when the raid took place.

@Step_Agency reported: “Four civilians, including children, were injured as a result of a cluster bomb explosion, left by the forces of the regime forces, in the town of Deir Al A’adas in the northern countryside of Dara’a.” @HalabTodayTV and the Syrian Unified Observatory reported that all four victims were children. According to @HalabTodayTV, the explosion took place near a school.

Whereas @Step_Agency and @HalabTodayTV blamed the Syrian regime for the unexploded ordnance, the Syrian Unified Observatory pointed to Russia.

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
    4
  • 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 (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

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3876

Incident date

July 8, 2019

Location

معرة النعمان, Ma’aret Al Nu’man, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were reported wounded in airstrikes on Ma’aret Al Nu’man, Idlib, on July 8th.

Syrian Network for Human Rights stated that “Syrian regime warplanes fired missiles on Ma’aret al Numan Stadium, partially damaging its building and fence, on July 8th.”

While other sources referred to “injured civilians”, Smart News documented “two civilians wounded by an aerial bombardment by the military regime on the outskirts of the city of Ma’arat al-Nu’man, south of Idlib.”

Two sources attributed the attack to the Syrian regime, one source did not positively attribute blame, while Step News named both Russian forces and the Syrian regime in reporting of the incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Image caption: "Syrian regime warplanes fired missiles on Ma'aret al Numan Stadium in Ma'aret al Numan city in Idlib governorate southern suburbs, partially damaging its building and fence, on July 8th" (via Syrian Network for Human Rights)
  • Tweet: Two young men were injured and material damage was caused to a stadium in the city of Maarat al-Numan, after it was targeted by an air strike by the warplanes earlier.

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 and/or 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3165

Incident date

March 4, 2018

Location

الزكاة, Al Zakat, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.3406492, 36.5770697 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were reported to be wounded following air and artillery strikes on Al Zakat. Sources blamed both Russian and the Syrian regime.

Shaam was the only source to report on wounded civilians, while the rest simply stated there was bombing in the vicinity.

Sources do however mention that there was heavy shelling, artillery fire and phosphorous bombs all fired onto the vicinity.

There are no more details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ 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 type
    Airstrike
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3181

Incident date

March 6, 2018

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr Al Shougur, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.814269, 36.31994 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A woman and a child were wounded in airstrikes on Jisr Al Shougur, local media reported. According to sources Russia were to blame for the raids.

Members of the Syrian Civil Defence aided the wounded in the aftermath.

@SyrianCoalition reported that “four air raids from the warplanes on the neighbourhoods of the city of Jisr al-Shughour residential in the city of Idlib.”

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • The moment airstrikes hit Jisr Al Shougur, 6th March 2018. (via IDLIB plust )
  • Civilians are rescued in the aftermath of airstrikes in Jisr Al Shougur, 6th March 2018. (via @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes in Jisr Al Shougur, 6th March 2018. (via @SyrianCoalition)
  • The moment airstrikes hit Jisr Al Shougur, 6th March 2018. (via @apdalrhmah)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3478

Incident date

June 27, 2018

Location

تسيل, Tasil, Dara'a, Syria

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported injuries among civilians as a result of raids allegedly by Russian forces on Tasil and other towns of Dara’a al Balad.

Shaam Network reported that “the raids also resulted in  a number of wounded in  Daraa al-Balad, Ghariyah al-Sharqiya, al-Harak, Saida, Nahata, Kahil, Nawa, Tasil, al Soura, Ibta’a, Shaikh Saad, Tafas and al Taibeh.”

@OrientNews tweeted that there were Russian forces raids on Tasil on that day, while @s3d_al3nezi blamed the Syrian regime.

No further information is available at the moment.

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
    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

  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3211

Incident date

March 9, 2018

Location

حرستا, Harasta, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.55869, 36.36515 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were wounded in air and artillery strikes on Harasta, local media reported. Sources attributed blame to both Russia and the Syrian regime.

The night raids consisted of heavy explosions on the residential neighbourhood.

Shaam reported that “Russian warplanes and the Assad helicopters launched fierce air raids accompanied by artillery bombardment and a very violent missile… wounding civilians in the cities of Saqba, Harasta, Hamouriya, Irbin and Madyra.”

There are no other details at this time.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or 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

Sources (7) [ 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
    Airstrike and/or 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

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3504

Incident date

June 30, 2018

Location

معربة, Ma'arba, Dara'a, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to 17 civilians, 9 of which are from the same family, were reported killed as a result of alleged Russian raids on their houses in Ma’raba in Dara’a, Syria on June 30th, 2018 according to local sources.

Step Agency said “The killing of 14 civilians, including two women and wounding others as a result of Russian and Syrian air strikes which targeted the town of Ma’araba east of Daraa.”

Journalist Mohammad Nour said “At least 17 martyrs, nine of them from a single family in the town of Ma’arba in eastern Dara’a, with Russian shelling of civilian homes as punishment for their refusal of the conditions of Russian surrender.”

Violations Documentation Center documented some names of the victims including Muhammad al-Faour, Yousef Muhmmmad al-Faour, Saeb Muhammad Faour, Ismaiel Ibrahim al-Faour, Najdat al-Matar, Hani Naji al-Masalemah, Abduallah al-Raja, Azad Basheir al-Muqdad, Abdulkarim Zunaifa, Muhammad Ali al-Foadh, Muhammad Jamal al-Abbas, Khadija al-Hamed, Abdulqader al-Dief Allah al-Ghwazi and Ahmad Ali Faour Ghazawe. 

Dara’a Martyrs page reported “The warplanes of the regime forces targeted the town of Ma’araba in the eastern countryside of Daraa with several raids, whereby in three of the raids, they targeted a house where a number of displaced persons from its basement took refuge from the military campaign launched by the regime forces in the area, and the raids caused a massacre of fifteen martyrs, including two women And two children.”

White Helmets posted saying that “There are still many remains of martyrs killed as a result of the heavy shelling that hit the eastern sector, and in turn the civil defense are collecting body parts  in the town of Ma’arba and burying them duly.”

Both Russian forces and the Syrian regime were blamed for the killing of those civilians. Mohammad Horani, Mohammad Nour and Violations Documentation Center said Russia was responsible.

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Family members (2)

Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male killed
Age unknown female Wife of Foa'ad killed
Age unknown male Or Muhammad Ali Al-Fedah killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    14 – 17
  • (1 woman13 men)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • A photo of one of the civilians allegedly killed by Russian or Syrian regime forces airstrikes in Ma'araba, Dara'a on June 30th, 2018 (via Ahmad Al Mokdad).
  • A photo of one of the civilians allegedly killed by Russian or Syrian regime forces airstrikes in Ma'araba, Dara'a on June 30th, 2018 (via Ahmad Al Mokdad).
  • A photo of one of the civilians allegedly killed by Russian or Syrian regime forces airstrikes in Ma'araba, Dara'a on June 30th, 2018 (via Ahmad Al Mokdad).
  • A photo of one of the civilians allegedly killed by Russian or Syrian regime forces airstrikes in Ma'araba, Dara'a on June 30th, 2018 (via Ahmad Al Mokdad).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Body of a civilian killed by alleged Russian or Syrian regime forces airstrikes in Ma'araba, Dara'a on June 30th, 2018 (via Ahmad Al Mokdad).

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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    14 – 17
  • (1 woman13 men)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]