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 Date Publication Date

Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4946

Location

تل مالد, Tal Maled, Aleppo, Syria
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
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4945

Location

حي الاذاعة، حلب, Al-Izaa neighbourhood, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
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
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4944

Location

حلب, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
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
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported killed
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4943

Location

الكريدية، منطقة الباب، مُحافظة حلب, Al-Karidiyah, al-Bab district, Aleppo, Syria
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
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported killed
1
Civilians reported injured
3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

1 December 2024

Incident Code

RS4942

Location

حي الجامعة، مدينة إدلب, Al-Jami’a neighbourhood, Idlib, Idlib, Syria
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
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Vehicle (Car), IDP or Refugee Camp, Residential
Civilians reported killed
4
Civilians reported injured
54
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

23 November 2024

Incident Code

RS4917

Location

بنش, Binnish [Banash, Bensh], Idlib, Idlib, Syria
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
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential (House)
Civilians reported killed
1
Civilians reported injured
3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident