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

23 November 2024

Incident Code

RS4918

Location

مدينة بنش، أريحا، إدلب, Ariha, Idlib, Idlib, Syria
Shortly before 9:04 PM  on Saturday, 23rd November 2024, an artillery shelling with contested responsibility allegedly perpetrated by Russian military and/or Syrian regime forces and/or Iranian military hit the city of Ariha in Idlib province, Syria, resulting in at least five civilian injuries, including four children, according to multiple local sources. The Syria Civil Defense…

Summary

Published
4 June 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported injured
5
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

16 October 2024

Incident Code

RS4916

Location

منشرة الأخشاب وورشة تصنيع المفروشات على أطراف مدينة إدلب, wood saw mill, furniture manufacturing workshop on the outskirts of Idlib City, Idlib, Syria
Shortly before 5:30 PM on Wednesday, 16th October 2024, 11 identified civilians, including nine men and two children, were killed by an airstrike reportedly perpetrated by the Russian military on a wood saw mill and furniture manufacturing workshop located in the western outskirts of Idlib city, Syria, while workers were inside. 31 civilians were injured,…

Summary

Published
27 May 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Warehouse (Consumer Goods)
Civilians reported killed
11
Civilians reported injured
31
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

30 November 2024

Incident Code

RS4937

Location

حي الفرقان في مدينة حلب, Al Furqan neighbourhood in the city of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
In the early hours of Friday, 30 November 2024, the Al-Furqan neighbourhood in the center of the city of Aleppo, Syria, was hit by an airstrike that reportedly caused the death of one identified victim, Saleh Abdullah al-Sahou, who, however, is classified as a contested militant given the details available, and the injury of a…

Summary

Published
27 May 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Vehicle (Car), Residential
Civilians reported killed
0–1
Civilians reported injured
2
Military actors reported killed
0–1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

30 November 2024

Incident Code

RS4935

Location

كنصفرة, Kansafra, Jabal al-Zawiya, south of Idlib, Idlib, Syria
During the early afternoon of Saturday, 30th November 2024, two civilian men named Mohammad al-Mustafa and Mohammad Fares al-Sa’id (Abu Ahmad) were killed and a number of civilians were injured as a result of artillery shelling and/or airstrikes launched on the village of Kansafra in Jabal al-Zawiya, south of Idlib, Syria, by the Syrian regime forces…

Summary

Published
23 May 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported killed
2
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

30 November 2024

Incident Code

RS4934

Location

قرية حزوان, Hazwan village, Aleppo, Syria
On the morning of Saturday, November 30th, 2024, three members of a family, a child and two women, were injured in an alleged Russian airstrike on Hazwan village, east of Aleppo, Syria. The Twitter/X’s account of Syrian Civil Defense (@SyriaCivilDefe) reported that the civilian casualties were “from the same family” and “were injured in a…

Summary

Published
23 May 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported injured
3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

29 November 2024

Incident Code

RS4932

Location

قرية فريكا, village of Frika, Idlib, Syria
On Friday 29 November 2024, an airstrike reportedly hit the village of Frika in the Idlib governorate, injuring seven civilians, six of them children, all from the same family. The attack has been attributed to the Russian military and/or Syrian regime forces. The first information about the incident came from @SyriaCivilDefe on X/Twitter at 22:59…

Summary

Published
23 May 2025
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported injured
7
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military
View Incident