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

R4588

Incident date

October 7, 2023

Location

الأتارب, Al Atareb, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

Shortly before 3:37 AM on Saturday, October 7th, 2023, a civilian man was killed and a number of civilians were reportedly injured due to an artillery strike with the contested responsibility – allededly perpetrated by the Syrian regime and/or Russian or Iranian military in the city of Al Atareb in the western countryside of Aleppo, Syria.

At 3:37 AM, Twitter/X user Radwan Muhammad Al Shahwan Altai (@ralshhwan9) reported about the attack on the city of Al Atareb with cluster missile launchers. Later, at 4:29 AM the Syrian Civil Defense (SCD) also reported on the incident and noted treating an injured civilian and handling the body of the man who was killed to his family, in addition to a photo of one of its volunteers in the ambulance. Later SCD wrote in its report that one man was killed and another one was injured reportedly by regime forces missile strikes on October 7, 2023. Twitter/X user Ahmed Suleiman @ahmdsly89548159 and @Mohab_Nasser2 reported about a number of civilians injured the attack too, yet an exact number was not disclosed.

Twitter/X user @Wolveri07681751 reported  that cluster munitions were used on civilians, leading to fires, and shared a video where sounds of explosions were heard. However, it is not clear whether this video referred to the strike that led to the civilian casualties or to a later one.

According to the Twitter/X user Ahmed Suleiman (@ahmdsly89548159), the victim who was killed was Muhammad al-Bakri Abu Nidal, a refugee displaced from Hama. He was an elderly man with thick eyebrows, a big black and gray beard, and black eyes wearing a black turban, a white t-shirt, and a military color shirt on top of it.

Where sources identified the belligerents, they attributed the responsibility for the strike to the Syrian regime forces alongside the Iranian and Russian military.

The incident occured at approximately 3:37 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Mohammed Al Bakri محمد البكري
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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, Iranian Military

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @ahmdsly89548159
  • Source: Atareb Media Office
  • Source: Orient

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

Iranian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iranian Military
  • Iranian Military 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
    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, Iranian Military

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2013

Incident date

March 22, 2017

Location

سخنة, Sukhna, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.8848748, 38.8711739 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four civilians were reported to have been wounded in an airstrike in Sukhna, according to local media sources – though it was unclear whether Russia or the Assad regime were responsible.

Smart News Agency placed responsibility for the attack on Russia, claiming that it wounded four civilians. It should be noted however, that this was the only known source that mentioned civilian harm.

The two other known sources for this event, @LaSyrianNews and Almanar, reported that the regime “destroyed several headquarters and fortifications for Daaesh in Sokhna” but that the attack only killed militants.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between March 1st – 31st 2017.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2136

Incident date

April 17, 2017

Location

شنان, Shanan, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.730271, 36.619461 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least five and as many as dozens of civilians were injured in an airstrike on a hospital in Shana, local media reported. Most sources blamed Russia, though there was an allegation against the regime.

According to Jisrtv, “The hospital in the village of Shanan was put out of service by the bombing of the Russian occupation aircraft with missiles and cluster bombs, which also resulted in the injury of members of the medical staff.”

Syria Mirror reported: “The Russian warplanes launched several air strikes with rockets and cluster bombs at Al-Ikhlas Hospital in the village of Shanan in Jabal Al-Zawiya, wounding five members of the medical staff, including a e member of the civil defense. The building was damaged along with cars and private property”.

Alkhaleejonline said that “dozens” of hospital employees were wounded, noting that the hospital specialised in treating women and children with obstetrics and gynecology departments “where doctors perform some minor surgeries”.

Orient was alone in pointing to the Assad regime as the culprit.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–24
  • 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]

  • Translation: 'Shanan hospital in Jabal al-Zawiyyah is out of service due to the Russian raids'
  • Another report which says that Shanan hospital was put out of service by alleged Russian strikes.

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

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–24
  • 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]

Incident Code

RS1979

Incident date

March 17, 2017

Location

كفر حوت, Kafr Hout , Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

33.359814, 35.978346 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Russian warplanes wounded two civilians in a raid on the village of Kafr Hout in southern Aleppo Governorate, western Syria, according to sources on the ground.

Sources were unclear of the identity of those injured in this attack. Smart News Today reported that two women were wounded, while Aleppo Civil Defence said that one woman and one man were injured.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • 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 (1) [ collapse]

  • Civilians are aided by the White Helmets following an alleged Russian airstrike on Kafr Hout, March 17th (via White Helmets)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Kafr Hout (كفر حوت), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.359814, 35.978346. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • 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

RS2111

Incident date

April 10, 2017

Location

جسر الشغور , Jisr Al-Shoughour, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

Sources reported the Syrian Civil Defence were struck in a suspected Russian airstrike during raids on the outskirts of Jisr Al-Shoughour in western Idlib.

Three civilians were reportedly injured, including a Syrian Civil Defence volunteer. One source alleged the use of phosphorus bombs.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Injured member of the Syrian Civil Defense team after being targeted by an alleged Russian airstrike on April 10th 2017 (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • Injured member of the Syrian Civil Defense team after being targeted by an alleged Russian airstrike on April 10th 2017 (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • Fighter jet allegedly flying over the outskirts of Jisr Al-Shoughour on April 10th 2017 (via JMC).

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2306

Incident date

June 25, 2017

Location

ابو قاطور, Abu Qator, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.724722, 37.364722 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source reported that “activists pointed out that the raids targeted a prison near the village of Abu Qatour, belonging to the area of Jab Jarrah (about 55 km east of Homs), killing six members of the organisation and wounding four prisoners [civilians] who were transferred to hospitals in Deir Ezzor province.”

The source blamed Russia for the raid.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any specific strikes between June 1st - 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2340

Incident date

July 15, 2017

Location

Al Hamidiya, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.3301466, 40.1456308 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were wounded by alleged Russian airstrikes on the neighborhood of downtown Hamidiya, local sources reported.

No further details are currently available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2504

Incident date

September 24, 2017

Location

البويب, al Boueb, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

31.464395, 35.155867 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians were injured in airstrikes against the village of al Boueb in the Shahshabo mountain in the western Hama countryside. Media blamed Russian warplanes for the raids.

The “warplanes” which launched three raids on the vicinity were unidentified by some media. It was reported that the village “[is] inhabited by purely civilians working as shepherds. There are no more than 25 families in this village living in 15 houses.”

No specific estimate was given as to how many civilians.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (6) [ collapse]