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

4,338 – 6,384

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 4,842 separate alleged incidents.

1,145 – 1,394
children likely killed
632 – 766
women likely killed
6,544
likely injured
3,435
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
15,282 – 24,392
Locally reported civilian deaths from Russian Military actions in Syria.
4,842 seperate alleged incidents
Confirmed or Fair
4,338 – 6,384
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Fair, or have been Confirmed by Russian Military
1,344 seperate alleged incidents
Weak
727 – 848
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Weak.
457 seperate alleged incidents
Contested
10,113 – 17,043
Civilian deaths for which the reporting is assessed by Airwars as Contested.
3,026 seperate alleged incidents
Discounted
104 – 117
Civilian deaths were Discounted by Airwars after assessment.
15 seperate alleged incidents
4808 incidents
Order results by:
Incident Date Publication Date

Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4946

Location

Tal Maled, Aleppo, Syria
تل مالد
Shortly before 2:05 PM on Sunday, 1 December 2024, an airstrike hit the village of Tal Maled, north of Aleppo, Syria. The attack reportedly resulted in the injury of a four-year-old child and the destruction of a residential building. The attack was reportedly carried out by Syrian and/or Russian military aircraft. The first information about…

Summary

Published
4 June 2025
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Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4945

Location

Al-Izaa neighbourhood, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
حي الاذاعة، حلب
Shortly before 14:30 on Sunday, 1 December 2024, an airstrike hit the area near the Iranian consulate in the Al-Izaa neighbourhood of Aleppo (also referred to as “radio area”), Syria, reportedly injuring a number of civilians. The attack was allegedly carried out by Syrian and/or Russian military aircraft. Initial information about the attack began circulating…

Summary

Published
4 June 2025
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Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4944

Location

Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
حلب
On Sunday, 1st December 2024, the Syrian Civil Defense volunteer Suleiman Muhammad Suleiman Al-Hariri was killed while carrying out humanitarian missions by an airstrike allegedly perpetrated by the Russian military and/or Syrian regime forces on the city of Aleppo in northern Syria. A Facebook post by Toledo city post named Suleiman Muhammad Suleiman Al-Hariri, a volunteer…

Summary

Published
4 June 2025
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Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4943

Location

Al-Karidiyah, al-Bab district, Aleppo, Syria
الكريدية، منطقة الباب، مُحافظة حلب
On the night of Sunday, December 1st, 2024, two alleged Russian airstrikes reportedly killed a man, Hamid Al-Jasem, and injured his wife and two children when the strikes hit his family home in the village of Al-Karidiyah, in Bazaa countryside, east of Aleppo, Syria. A tribute to Al-Jasem was posted on Facebook by @News of…

Summary

Published
4 June 2025
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Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4942

Location

Al-Jami’a neighbourhood, Idlib, Idlib, Syria
حي الجامعة، مدينة إدلب
Shortly before 7:55 AM on Sunday, December 1st 2024, two camps for displaced persons, including Hay al-Jami'a camp located in the the Al-Jami’a neighborhood of Idlib, Syria, a public square and residential neighborhoods were hit by airstrikes that reportedly originated from the Syrian regime and/or Russian military forces and killed four civilians, including a woman,…

Summary

Published
4 June 2025
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Incident Date

23 November 2024

Incident Code

RS4917

Location

Binnish [Banash, Bensh], Idlib, Idlib, Syria
بنش
At least one child was killed and two other children and a woman were injured - three siblings from the al-Aboud family, along with their mother, were among the civilian victims of an artillery strike with contested responsibility allegedly perpetrated by the Russian military and/or Syrian regime forces and/or Iranian military on the residential building…

Summary

Published
4 June 2025
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