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.

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 4,977 separate alleged incidents.

1,174 – 1,440
children likely killed
647 – 782
women likely killed
6,672
likely injured
3,500
named victims

Russian Military estimate of civilian deaths

0

Confirmed civilian deaths, from Russian Military actions in Syria, originating from 0 separate incidents of civilian harm.

civilians confirmed injured
Alleged deaths
15,841 – 25,260
Locally reported civilian deaths from Russian Military actions in Syria.
4,977 seperate 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
1,380 seperate alleged incidents
Weak
739 – 861
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Weak.
466 seperate alleged incidents
Contested
10,557 – 17,748
Civilian deaths for which the reporting is assessed by Airwars as Contested.
3,115 seperate alleged incidents
Discounted
114 – 129
Civilian deaths were Discounted by Airwars after assessment.
16 seperate alleged incidents
4942 incidents
Order results by:
Incident DatePublication Date

Incident Date

15 September 2024

Incident Code

RS4908

Location

سرمين, western neighbourhood of the city of Sarmin, Idlib, Syria
Shortly before 4:40 PM on Sunday, September 15, 2024, a child named Mohammad Somar Haj Lattouf and a young man named Abdulaziz Jamal Abboud were injured as a result of artillery shelling with contested responsibility allegedly perpetrated by Syrian regime forces and/or Iraniian military and/or Russian military in the western neighbourhood of the city of…

Summary

Published
4 March 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential, Education (Primary School)
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

9 September 2024

Incident Code

RS4907

Location

تادف, the old diesel market area north of Taduf, Aleppo, Syria
Shortly before 7:14 PM on Monday, September 9, 2024, three children were injured, one of whom sustained critical injuries, in an mortar shelling allegedly carried out by Syrian regime forces and/or the Iranian military and/or the Russian military, hitting residential neighborhoods in the old diesel market area north of Taduf (Tadef), Aleppo, Syria. Reports from…

Summary

Published
7 March 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

3 September 2024

Incident Code

RS4906

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr al-Shughour, Idlib, Syria
Around 10 pm on the evening of Tuesday, September 3, 2024, four civilians - two men, a woman, and a child - were injured by artillery and rocket shelling allegedly by Syrian regime forces and/or Iranian militias and/or Russian forces on the residential buildings in the city of Jisr al-Shughour in the Idlib region of…

Summary

Published
7 March 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential (House)
Civilians reported injured
4
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

18 August 2024

Incident Code

RS4904

Location

كورين, Korin, Idlib, Idlib, Syria
Late in the evening on Sunday, August 18th, 2024, one unnamed civilian was reportedly injured as a result of airstrikes with contested responsibility allegedly perpetrated by Syrian regime forces and/or Russian military and/or Iranian militias. The incident reportedly occurred in Korin in the southern countryside of Idlib. The @SyriaCivilDefe (or 'White Helmets') reported that one…

Summary

Published
7 March 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Transportation (Road), Vehicle (Car)
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

12 August 2024

Incident Code

RS4903

Location

طريق الأبزمو - الأتارب, Al Atareb - Abzimo road, western countryside of Aleppo, Syria, Aleppo, Syria
On the evening of Sunday, 11th August 2024, a civilian was reportedly injured by a bombardment allegedly perpetrated by the Syrian regime’s forces and/or Iranian military and/or Russian military on the Atarib-Abzmo road in the western countryside of the Aleppo governorate in Syria. A Twitter/X post by the Syrian Civil Defence included photos of the…

Summary

Published
4 March 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

27 July 2024

Incident Code

RS4902

Location

أرض زراعية  على أطراف بلدة بداما في ريف إدلب الغربي, agricultural land on the outskirts of the town of Badama (Bdama), west of Idlib, Idlib, Syria
An explosion of a cluster bomb remnant reportedly left from previous shelling by the Russian military and/or the Syrian regime forces and/or the Nusayri regime militias affiliated with the Syrian regime resulted in the killing of a young civilian man on the agricultural land in the outskirts of Badama (Bdama) town located in the western…

Summary

Published
27 July 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Infrastructure
Agriculture
Civilians reported killed
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident