Conflict

Russian Military in Syria

Incident Code

RS1654

Location

عربين, Arbeen, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.538143, 36.364331
Accuracy: Town

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: July 23, 2025

(Previous Incident Codes: R1511RS1650)

At least one civilian was killed – another source reported “martyrs” suggesting multiple – and between one and two were wounded following alleged air and artillery strikes on Arbeen.

Sources are conflicted regrading who was to blame. Two sources blamed Syrian regime warplanes for the raids, and only one blamed Russia. Other sources remained impartial.

According to sources, residential buildings were struck in the airstrikes and “heavy artillery shelling”.

An on the ground source reported that there were two raids overall. LCCSY however reported that there were seven raids on Arbeen.

Video footage shows a wounded woman being transported to a medical facility by the White Helmets.

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Civilians reported killed
0–2
Civilians reported injured
1–2

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Arbeen (عربين), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.538143, 36.364331. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Russian Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Russian Military
Russian Military position on incident
Not yet assessed
Russian Military Strike Report
Russia has not reported any specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 2016. On 6 January 2017, Russia, however, reported: “Since November 8, 2016, the aircraft carrier group of the Northern Fleet consisting of the heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Severomorsk, as well as auxiliary vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, has been fulfilling counterterrorist missions on the territory of Syria”, adding that ”in the course of two months of their participation in the combat actions, naval aviation pilots have carried out 420 combat sorties, 117 of them were night ones.”
Syrian Regime Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Syrian Regime
Syrian Regime position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media From Sources (1)