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

RS004

Incident date

September 30, 2015

Location

المكرمية, Al Makrmeya, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.8671039, 36.7795765 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Syrian Network for Human Rights, reported that a Russian airstrike at Al Makrmeya had killed a non-combatant. No other details were given.

VDC named an adult male civilian from Makrameih as having been killed by alleged Russian strikes. They also published a graphic photo of his body.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Muhammad Ahmad Alrajab
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Muhammad Ahmad Alrajab, killed in an alleged Russian raid. (via VDC)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Makrmeya (المكرمية), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.8671039, 36.7795765. 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
Official source

The Russian MoD has confirmed carrying out airstrikes on September 30th 2015, though did not give precise locations: “Today the Russian aviation, which was located at the Syrian airfield Hmeymim, performed high accuracy strikes against international terrorist organization ISIS. The attack jets with modern armament hit eight facilities, including munition, armament and POL storages, combat vehicles, command and communication posts. All targets have been successfully engaged. The pilots completely destroyed HQ and coordination centers of the ISIS troops located in the mountains.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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

RS005

Incident date

September 30, 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

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that “Allegedly Russian warplanes shelled Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Jisr Al Shoughour city, killed one individual and destroyed the mosque completely.” Footage showed the mosque and surrounding houses to be severely damaged, with other reports placing the death toll higher.

Two videos were posted. In one, a rescuer tells the camera: “The man that was killed never carried a gun nor a stick. He’s an old man under the rubble, we’re pulling him out now.” Baladi News reported that five civilians were killed at the mosque.

Amnesty International later published its own findings, concluding that the strike “killed one civilian immediately, mortally wounded another and injured six more; Amnesty International has obtained the names of all eight individuals. According to one eyewitness interviewed by Amnesty International, there were no military casualties and no military targets in the vicinity, with the nearest checkpoint some 500m away.”

The international human rights group also noted: “On 1 October 2015 a Russian Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated that Russia’s air force had targeted IS infrastructure and had destroyed one such command post in Jisr al-Shughour. On 30 October, following the emergence of reports and images showing that the Omar Bin al-Khattab mosque had been destroyed, Colonel-General Andrey Kartapolov stated that such information was a “hoax” and presented a satellite image claiming that the mosque was still intact. However, the satellite image showed a different mosque, not the one destroyed in the attack.”

The incident occured at 12:00:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Abdul Jaleel al-Khaleel
Adult male Died on 27/10/2015 in a Turkish hospital due to wounds sustained in the Russian strike on Omar Bin Khattab mosque killed
Marwan Mustafa
Child male 17-years-old killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–8
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Video showing the destruction at Jisr al Shoughour due to suspected Russian strikes. Includes interview with a member of the White Helmets. (via Jissr al Shoughour Media Centre)
  • Video showing the destruction in the mosque. Man shows where the victim was when he was struck saying that he was a civilian fixing the mosque. (via Idlib News Network)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

The Russian MoD confirms carrying out airstrikes on September 30th-October 1st 2015, though did not give precise locations: “Russian Aerospace Forces engaged another four ISIS facilities this night. Su-24M and Su-25 aircraft performed 8 sorties eliminating the staff of terrorist groupings and an ammunition depot near Idlib as well as a three-level HQ centre near Hamah. As a result of a pinpoint bomb attack, a plant aimed for preparation of cars for terrorist attacks located in the north of Homs is completely destroyed.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–8
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS4509

Incident date

Location

كنصفرة, Kansafra, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Between one and three civilians were injured in alleged Russian or regime artillery strikes on the town of Kansafra on July 7, 2020.

A tweet from @BelalBayoush90 reported that three civilians were injured by heavy artillery and rocket launcher attacks on the town of Kansafra, attributing the attack to the regime while @thawrat111 identified two civilians as being injured and attributed the injuries to Russia. @RadioAlKul provided the lowest casualty estimate, reporting that one civilian was injured.

Other sources that reported on the incident only refer to “several” civilians injured or aggregate their casualty tolls with other villages nearby.

Sources were conflicted as to whether Russia or the regime were responsible for the attack.

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
    1–3
  • 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 (18) [ 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
    1–3
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4362

Incident date

Location

تديل, Tadel, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.165535, 36.886978 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian was injured in alleged Russian or regime shelling of Tadel on August 1, 2021.

According to @Ahmad_1alshble, “a civilian was injured by shelling by Assad’s gangs that targeted residential houses and agricultural lands in the town of Tadel”.

A tweet from @rdwanalshhwan identified the civilian injured as a “young man”.

Syria TV reported that the injured civilian was taken to a medical point in the area to be treated for his injuries.

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the strikes, with @anasanas84 attributing the strikes to Russia and the regime while @Ahmad_1alshble blamed the regime in contrast to @Jv5As identifying Russia as responsible.

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
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • White Helmets sort through rubble following strikes on Tadel on August 1, 2021. (Image posted by @Ahmad_1alshble)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Tadel (تديل), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.165535, 36.886978. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4456

Incident date

Location

الباره, Al Bara, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

A woman was injured in an alleged missile strike by Russian or Syrian regime forces in the Al Bara district in Jabal Al Zawiya in southern Idlib on August 6th, 2022.

The woman’s injuries were not specified though @RadioAlKul tweeted that she was “slightly injured” whereas all other sources reported that she was injured without further elaboration. The Syrian Civilian Defence also posted that a fire broke out in a civilian household as a result of the strike but did not specify whether it was the woman’s house.

@​​AlkneterOthman and @ZaitunAgency reported that the artillery shells were launched by “pro-Assad forces” and the Syrian Civilian Defence noted that Russia and the Assad regime were responsible for the strike.

The incident took place at some point during the day as the photographic evidence showed that it was daylight outside. It occurred in Al Bara in the countryside in southern Idlib.

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
    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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • One woman was injured in a contested Russian and Syrian regime artillery strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via SCD / Facebook)
  • One woman was injured in a contested Russian and Syrian regime artillery strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via SCD / Facebook)
  • One woman was injured in a contested Russian and Syrian regime artillery strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via SCD / Facebook)
  • One woman was injured in a contested Russian and Syrian regime artillery strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via SCD / Facebook)
  • Syrian regime or Russian missile attack in Al Bara on August 6th 2022 reportedly left one woman injured (Image via @anasanas82 / Twitter)
  • One woman was allegedly injured after a Russian or Syrian regime strike on August 6th 2022 in Al Bara (Image via @ezaldeen_98 / Twitter)

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
    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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]