Russian Military in Syria
In September 2015 Russian military forces intervened in Syria initially as part of a limited campaign against so-called Islamic State terrorists. This campaign turned into more substantive military support to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in his deadly fight with opposition groups, killing thousands of civilians in rebel-held areas. Operations came to an end with Assad’s fall in December 2024.
Airwars documented thousands of allegations of civilian harm from Russian strikes in Syria and produced research and reports on the conflict.
Image:
Budni VKS RF on the airline Himeimim in Syria. January 20, 2016. (Russian Ministry of Defence)
Airwars estimate of civilian deaths
4,431 – 6,522
Locally reported civilian deaths from declared or likely Russian Military actions in Syria for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Fair, or have been Confirmed by the Russian Military. These originate from 4,992 separate alleged incidents.
1,174 – 1,440
children likely killed
648 – 783
women likely killed
6,677 – 10,468
likely injured
3,505
named victims
Russian Military estimate of civilian deaths
32
Confirmed civilian deaths, from Russian Military actions in Syria, originating from 7 separate incidents of civilian harm.
26
civilians confirmed injured
Alleged deaths
15,864 – 25,300
Locally reported civilian deaths from Russian Military actions in Syria.
4,992 separate alleged incidents
Confirmed or Fair
4,431 – 6,522
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Fair, or have been Confirmed by Russian Military.
1,381 separate alleged incidents
Weak
740 – 862
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Weak.
468 separate alleged incidents
Contested
10,579 – 17,787
Civilian deaths for which the reporting is assessed by Airwars as Contested.
3,127 separate alleged incidents
Discounted
114 – 129
Civilian deaths were Discounted by Airwars after assessment.
16 separate alleged incidents
5,001 incidents
Incident Date
7 December 2024
Incident Code
RS4964
Location
Talbiseh, Homs, Syria
مدينة تلبيسة
During the morning and afternoon of 7 December 2024, a series of artillery and airstrikes, allegedly carried out by the Syrian regime forces and/or Russian warplanes/shelling, struck Talbishe in the northern countryside of Homs, Syria. The attacks resulted in the deaths of at least dozens of civilians, including five children and two women, and injuries …
Summary
Published
8 August 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential, Healthcare, Hospital
Civilians reported killed
2 – 24
Civilians reported injured
12 – 24
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Russian Military, Syrian Regime
Incident Date
7 December 2024
Incident Code
RS4965
Location
village of al-Ghanto, Homs, Syria
قرية الغنطو
Shortly before 10 a.m. on Saturday, 7 December 2024, the village of al-Ghanto in the northern Homs countryside of Syria was struck by either an artillery shelling or an airstrike with contested responsibility allegedly carried out by the Russian military and/or Syrian regime forces, killing an entire family consisting of at least five civilians, and …
Summary
Published
22 July 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported killed
4 – 5
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Syrian Regime, Russian Military
Incident Date
6 December 2024
Incident Code
RS4960
Location
Helfaya City, Hama, Syria
رفح
Three civilians were reportedly killed in an alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime airstrike on Helfaya city, North Hama, Syria, during the morning of 6 December, 2024. The names of those killed, all of whom were men, were Amjad Bin Ahmad Jouma Rajab, Mohammad Kassar Abo Zaied (Abu Khaled) , and Osama Suliman al-Darwish (Abu Tariq) …
Summary
Published
8 August 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported killed
3 – 4
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Russian Military, Syrian Regime
Incident Date
6 December 2024
Incident Code
RS4963
Location
Janoub al-Mal'ab, Hama, Syria
During the morning of 6 December 2024, alleged Russian military and/or Syrian regime airstrikes, artillery, and/or naval fire hit the al-Malab neighbourhood, south of the stadium in Hama City, near Shafiq Abisi School in Syria. The strike reportedly resulted in the death of between four and seven civilians, including a father and his three children, …
Summary
Published
22 July 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery, Naval bombardment
Infrastructure
Residential, Education, Vehicle
Civilians reported killed
4 – 7
Civilians reported injured
6 – 7
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Syrian Regime, Russian Military
Incident Date
6 December 2024
Incident Code
RS4959
Location
Teir Ma'ala, Homs, Syria
تير معلة
On December 6th, 2024, Abdul Halim al-Rashed (Abu Obeida) was reportedly killed by alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime airstrikes and/or artillery shelling in Tir Maala, Homs, Syria. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that one person had been killed in Tir Maala as a result of Syrian regime attacks on Homs. A Facebook post …
Summary
Published
8 August 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported killed
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Russian Military, Syrian Regime
Incident Date
6 December 2024
Incident Code
RS4962
Location
Shezar town, west of Hama, Hama, Syria
بلدة شيزر في ريف حماة الغربي
On Friday, 6 December 2024, an alleged Syrian regime and/or Russian airstrike hit the town of Shezar, in the Hama Governorate of Syria, reportedly killing three civilian women, identified as Nadra al-Sayadi, Hajar al-Alloush , and Samira Mahmoud Jawhar. Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) published a post on X/Twitter reporting the attack; however, it …
Summary
Published
22 July 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported killed
3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Syrian Regime, Russian Military
20 Aug, 2025
Research, Update
Syria
Airwars publishes final of 5,000 civilian harm incidents from Russian actions in Syria
Nine-year project involved tracking of thousands of strikes, and the deaths of up to 25,000 civilians
1 Aug, 2024
Update
Syria
New Airwars and White Helmets project launched
Interactive map documents Syrian earthquake rescue operations alongside emergency airstrike response
19 Feb, 2024
Visualisation
Syria
Reported White Helmets incidents in earthquake affected areas, Syria, 2023
Mapping all White Helmets first responder incidents in the months following the devastating February 2023 earthquake in Syria and Turkey
28 Sept, 2022
Visualisation
Syria
Reported civilian deaths from Russian Military strikes in Syria
Civilian deaths peak in 2017
6 Sept, 2022
Visualisation
Syria
Russian Military in Syria Casualty Map
Russia began its military engagement in Syria in support of the Assad government on September 30th 2015, in a campaign dominated by intense airstrikes, and later also by artillery actions. While Moscow initially claimed to be targeting so-called Islamic State, it soon became clear that rebel-held areas of Syria were its main focus. The campaign …
13 Jun, 2022
Investigations
Syria
A year on, Airwars investigation into Afrin hospital attack reveals crucial details
A horrifying attack on a hospital in the Syrian city of Afrin left 19 people dead – and the perpetrators are still unknown.