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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Russian Military
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Incident Code

R4449

Incident date

July 8, 2022

Location

بليون, Balion, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian, a young man, was injured in alleged Russian or regime artillery shelling of the village of Balion on July 8, 2022.

According to @SyriaCivilDefe, a young man was wounded in artillery shelling of the village of Balion by the regime and Russian forces. Civil Defense volunteers took the injured man to the nearest medical point. A @jisrtv correspondent reported that the person was “slightly injured” in the shelling.

Various other local sources including @TvIdlib also identified one civilian as being wounded in the attack. Al Araby reported that the shelling hit civilian homes in the town of Balion.

The majority of sources attributed the shelling to regime forces or both the regime and Russian forces. A tweet from @lyalraq13900368 specified that the regime forces stationed at surrounding checkpoints were responsible for the shelling.

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
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

  • A young man injured by alleged Russian and regime shelling of the village of Balion on July 8, 2022. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers search the site of alleged Russian and regime shelling of the village of Balion on July 8, 2022. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian and regime shelling of the village of Balion on July 8, 2022. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian and regime shelling of the village of Balion on July 8, 2022. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Smoke caused by alleged Russian and regime shelling of the village of Balion on July 8, 2022. (Image posted by @jisrtv)

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
  • 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

R4480

Incident date

October 24, 2022

Location

شنان, Shnan, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian, including a child and/or woman, was injured by alleged Syrian regime or Russian shelling of the village of Shnan on October 24, 2022.

The @SyriaCivilDefe reported that a woman was injured by Syrian regime and Russian shelling of the village of Shnan with tank shells. The Syrian Civil Defense added that the shelling occurred at the same time as schools letting out for the day, and volunteers protected students from the shelling.

According to @syr_television, a child was injured and a home was destroyed by missiles that hit the village of Shnan.

Baladi News correspondent in Idlib countryside reported that the Syrian regime forces intensively bombed the farms surrounding the town of Shnan, which resulted in the injury of a woman to varying degrees.

@idleb_online tweeted that the Syrian army was shelling the positions of the militants in the village of Shnan, but did not include information about casualties.

The majority of sources attributed the shelling to the Syrian regime. However, @SyriaCivilDefe reported that the Syrian regime and Russia were responsible.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Damage caused by artillery shelling of Shnan on October 24, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Civil Defense volunteers protect students from artillery shelling of Shnan on October 24, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Damage caused by artillery shelling of Shnan on October 24, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Damage caused by artillery shelling of Shnan on October 24, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via 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
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4517

Incident date

June 12, 2023

Location

افس, Afes, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Monday June 12th 2023, an alleged missile strike by Assad regime forces and Russia hit the village of Afes in the eastern countryside of Idlib, injuring between one and three civilians, including two children.

Sources including @SyriaCivilDefe and @hadikhraat twitter accounts, and Zaman Al Wasl reported three civilians being hit by shrapnel, including a man, Jamal, and his two children, Marwa and Abdullah, while Radio Al Kul accounts for a woman and two children being injured. @HalabTodayTV twitter account is the only source reporting only a woman being injured. Images posted by @SyriaCivilDefe show two children and a man being treated for their injuries by the White Helmets.

All sources, including @SyriaCivilDefe and @VedengAgency1 twitter accounts, reported that the attack took place in the vicinity of the village of Afes in the countryside of Idlib under the control of the Turkish-backed factions. Moreover, Radio Al Kul noted that the airstrike also affected “the vicinity of the Turkish military point in the village of Maarat Aliya, east of Idlib” and @pvSScBsybeozsB8 twitter account mentions “more than 125 rocket and artillery shells.”

The suspected attackers are alleged to be the Syrian armed forces and Russia, as reported by @SyriaCivilDefe twitter account and Zaman Al Wasl, although responsibility has not been accepted explicitly.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Jamal
male injured
Marwa
Child injured
Abdullah
Child injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    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 (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A civilian and his two children were injured when the vicinity of the town of #Afes in #Idlib countryside was targeted with rocket launchers
  • More than 125 rocket and artillery shells targeted Idlib axes, wounding a man and his two children in the village of Afes
  • 3 civilians, including two children, were wounded by artillery and missile strikes of the regime forces on the town of Afes

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
    1–3
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4551

Incident date

September 2, 2023

Location

كفرتعال, Kafr Ta’al, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

A resident of Kafr Ta’al in Western Aleppo died after being wounded in an artillery shelling — allegedly fired by the Syrian regime and/or Russian military — on the morning of September 2, 2023.

Civilians had rushed the injured Abdu Ahmad Qudur to a hospital, where he died the same day. Teams from the Syrian Civil Defense were prevented from reaching the site themselves due to ongoing bombardment, according to @syriancivildefe. Zaman al-Wasl specified that Abdu was “a civilian who did not belong to any military party”. Shaam News reported that in addition to the civilian death, “others” were injured, without providing an injury toll.

The Syrian Civil Defense attributed the shelling to the Syrian regime, but local media reports were conflicting. Shaam News also identified the Syrian regime as responsible, while Al Mohrar labeled Russian forces as the perpetrator.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abdu Ahmad Qudur عبدو أحمد قدور
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Image of Abdo Ahmad Qaddour who was allegedly killed by Russian/Syrian regime strikes. Source: AlmuhrarNewsNEt

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 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4590

Incident date

October 7, 2023

Location

طراف مدينة إدلب, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On the evening of Saturday, October 7th, 2023, at least one civilian man was wounded on the outskirts of Idlib, Syria, in the bombardment allegedly perpetrated by the Russian military and/or Syrian regime forces.  However, some sources reported that a number of civilians were injured.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, reported on the man’s injury in its Twitter/X post around 6:57 PM, noting that the incident happened “on the fourth day of an intense escalation campaign by regime forces and Russia in bombing civilians.” SCD also shared an image of a car with broken glass windows that was apparently damaged in the strike.

Reports differed on who was responsible for carrying out Saturday strike and on the type of strike. Al-Arabiya correspondent quoted by Arabic Syria Post and Al Hadath Syria news reported that Russian warplanes struck the city outskirts of Idlib with missiles. However, in another post by Arabic Syria it was reported that civilians were wounded by artillery shelling by the Syrian army. Therefore, Airwars has graded both strike status and civilian harm status as contested.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

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

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @feraskaram01

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
    1–2
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS025

Incident date

October 7, 2015

Location

دارة عزة, Darat Izza, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.28247, 36.85216 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A mother and her two children were killed along with another woman in a suspected Russian cruise missile strike on the town of Darat Izza.

Amnesty International later reported: “More than six residential buildings with at least a dozen homes were destroyed by the attack according to an eyewitness interviewed by Amnesty International as well as reports of human rights organisations. Information provided by local human rights defenders, Syrian human rights organisations and video clips of the aftermath of the attack reviewed by Amnesty International indicated that there was widespread destruction and damage but no military casualties nor any armed presence in the town.”

The dead were later named by Al Kanana Hospital and VDC.

Russia claimed ‘civilian objects were not damaged‘ by 26 cruise missiles fired that day.  According to Amnesty, “The Ministry of Defence did not clarify the exact locations of the strikes, but a map in a video that it released indicates that one of the strike points was in or in the immediate vicinity of Darat Izza. Weapons experts advised Amnesty International that images of remnants of the missile indicated that it was of a model used by the Russian navy, a Novatur 3M14 Kalibr-NK.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Jouideh Naser Bazar
Adult female Mother of Talal and Safa killed
Talal Mohammad Bazar
Child male killed
Safa Mohammad Bazar
Child female killed
Lina al-Loudaama
Adult female killed

The victims were named as:

Lina al-Loudaama
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (2 children2 women)
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Talal Mohammad Bazar, shortly before his death from injuries sustained in an alleged Russian airstrike, Darat Izza Oct 7th 2015 (via al Kanana Hospital)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Safa Mohammad Bazaz, killed in an alleged Russian strike Darat Izza Oct 7th 2015 (via al Kanana Hospital)
  • 'Fragment of a Russian cruise missile' recovered at Darat Izza October 7th 2015 (via Amnesty)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Darrat Izza, for which the generic coordinates are: 36.28247, 36.85216. 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

Russia made no specific reference to strikes in Aleppo for October 7th 2015.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (2 children2 women)
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS057

Incident date

October 18, 2015

Location

الزربة, Az Zarbah, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.06763, 36.97987 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilian males were reported killed when their car was struck in an alleged Russian airstrike at Zerbeih. Three people were also reported injured in the attack. The men were named by VDC as Mohammad Subhi Basheir and Abdo Ali.

Footage and interviews from the town showed extreme damage to at least one civilian neighbourhood.

An eyewitness described the attack for Smart News: “We were over there and I went over there to do somethings when the planes hit over there. After an hour it came back again and hit from the western side, it hit the house over there with two missiles and there’s a house east of Zerbeih, they hit it three times.”

Reporter: And it’s all kids, civilians?

Witness: Yes children and there are people injured. There was a family here, some were injured and others killed and there were shops all along here.

Reporter: Are there any bases or anything?

Witness: There are no bases. we’re all civilians here, there’s nothing else.

 

 

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Subhi Basheir
Adult male killed
Abdo Ali
Adult male killed

Summary

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

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Zarbah (الزربة), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.06763, 36.97987. 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

Russia confirmed carrying out strikes in Aleppo governorate for October 18th-19th 2015: “Russian aviation performed 33 combat sorties from the Hmeymim airbase engaging 49 ISIS facilities in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Lattakia and Hama provinces… Near Djdayda settlement (Aleppo province), Su-25 attack aircraft eliminated a workshop used for production of self-made rockets. The equipped facility manufactured single-use launching ramps and rockets for distant fire at Syrian Armed Forces’ positions and inhabited areas. The direct hit of an air bomb resulted in detonation of explosives and destruction of the whole facility.”

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS090

Incident date

October 29, 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

At least 70 people died and as many as 550 were injured in what was initially reported as a Russian airstrike on the marketplace in Douma. However subsequent reports indicated the specific attack was most likely the work of Assad regime aircraft. Part of the confusion lay in the fact that Russian Air Force aircraft had also reportedly carried out strikes on the city that day.

As AP noted: “There were conflicting reports about the attack in Douma. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Co-ordination Committees said government forces fired more than 11 missiles at a market. The Observatory said the attack killed 57 people, while the LCC said at least 40 died… The Syrian National Council, the main Western-backed opposition group in exile, blamed Russian air strikes for the “massacre” in Douma, saying 55 civilians were killed. It said it was the second deadly attack in the past 24 hours after Russian air strikes hit the main Douma hospital.“

According to Medecins Sans Frontiers, “At least 70 people have been killed and 550 injured in an air strike on a marketplace in the Douma neighbourhood near Damascus, Syria. As the nearest makeshift hospital had been bombed the previous day, medical workers struggled to cope with the influx of injured people. MSF fears the intensification of bombing that has been seen in northern and central Syria over the course of October could become even more horrific if it spreads to besieged areas around Damascus, where almost a million people are trapped with no way to escape, few medical facilities, and no options for medical evacuations of seriously wounded. The devastation caused by the initial air strike on the market was exacerbated by further shelling on the rescue teams who were attending to the wounded. Two hundred and fifty patients required surgery, and a further 300 patients have been treated for non-surgical wounds. The multi-trauma wounds are described by medics as being worse than anything they have seen before.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    70
  • Civilians reported injured
    550
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Russia also carried out airstrikes at Douma on October 28th, leading to initial confusion on who was respobnisble for the reported deaths of 70 civilians {Shaam News Network)
  • Photos showing Russian warplanes that are still roaming the skies of the besieged Eastern Ghouta and carrying out raids on its cities and towns. (via SNN)

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 issued no report for the period October 28th-30th 2015.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    70
  • Civilians reported injured
    550
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]