Russian intervention in Syria 97 months on | Considerable escalation in “de-escalation zone” with nearly 150 airstrikes leaves over 45 civilian casualties
At a time when Russia’s plans are proceeding with their 97th consecutive month of involvement in the Syrian crisis, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored and tracked the recent developments during the first month of the ninth year of the Russian intervention in Syria. Key developments can be summarized regionally as follows:
North-west Syria
Russian fighter jets escalated their attacks on the “de-escalation zone” to unprecedented level in 2023, executing 149 airstrikes on over 30 residential and military sites. Those airstrikes left nine civilian fatalities: three children, four women and two men, and injured 35 others.
Among the total death toll, six civilians: a woman and her two children, two other women and an unidentified man, were killed in a massacre committed by Russian fighter jets on October 24.
Russian airstrikes in October are distributed regionally as follows:
- October 6: 19 airstrikes targeted positions in Jaftalek Haj Mahmoud, Al-Ze’ayniyah, Bdama, Hallouz, Kafradin, the surrounding areas of Idlib central prison and Al-Qarqur in Hama countryside.
- October 7: Six airstrikes targeted positions in Hursh Batentah to the west of Maarrat Masrin, the surrounding areas of Al-Nayrab town and the surrounding areas of Mu’taram village in the south of Idlib.
- October 8: Three airstrikes targeted positions in on Kabanah frontline in Latakia countryside.
- October 9: Three airstrikes targeted positions in the hills of Kabanah in Latakia countryside.
- October 10: Four airstrikes targeted positions in the surrounding areas of Jozif town in Jabal Al-Zawiyah.
- October 11: Three airstrikes targeted positions in the surrounding areas of Al-Bara town in Jabal Al-Zawiyah.
- October 13: Nine airstrikes targeted positions in the surrounding areas of Sheikh Sandyan village, Jabal Al-Arba’in, the surrounding areas of Ihsim and the surrounding areas of Mashon in Idlib countryside.
- October 14: 15 airstrikes targeted positions in the surrounding areas of Kansafrah, Hursh Jozif, the surrounding areas of Balyoun and the textile factory in Idlib city.
- October 17: 32 airstrikes targeted positions in Hursh Sheikh Bahr to the west of Maarrat Masrin, the surrounding areas of Sheikh Youssef village and Al-Shukhayb near Al-Ze’ayniyah town.
- October 18: Seven airstrikes targeted positions on the outskirts of Sheikh Youssef village in the western countryside of Idlib, Ghaniyah village and Sheikh Sandyan in Jisr Al-Shughour in west Idlib countryside.
- October 21: Ten airstrikes targeted positions in Kabanah hills in the northern countryside of Latakia, the surrounding areas of Sheikh Youssef village in the western countryside of Idlib and the surrounding areas of Arnabah village in south Idlib countryside.
- October 23: Five airstrikes targeted a mountain area in Kabanah hills in Latakia countryside.
- October 24: Three airstrikes targeted a refugee camp on the outskirts of Al-Hamamah village in Jisr Al-Shughour in western Idlib and Ain Shaib village to the west of Idlib city.
- October 25: Three airstrikes targeted positions in the surrounding areas of Arab Saied village in the southern countryside
- October 26: Two airstrikes targeted positions in the surrounding areas of Al-Bara town in Jabal Al-Zawiyah area in south Idlib countryside.
- October 27: Four airstrikes targeted positions on Al-Ftaterah frontline in south Idlib, Al-Sarmaniyah village in Sahl Al-Ghab area in west Hama countryside, Kabanah hills in the northern countryside of Latakia and Jabal Al-Arba’in area in Idlib countryside.
- October 28: Seven airstrikes targeted military headquarters on the western outskirts of Idlib city and positions in the surrounding areas of Ain Shaib village in western Idlib, the surrounding areas of Al-Ghassaniyah and Kabanah hills in the northern countryside of Latakia
Meanwhile, Russian forces brought military reinforcements to positions in the vicinity of “Putin-Erdogan” area north western of Syria. According to reliable SOHR sources, the reinforcements arrived on October 24, and deployed in positions near Kafr Nobl and Abu Al-Duhur Military Airport.
The reinforcements comprise Russian-made advanced “Gastello” drones for kamikaze missions and Russian-made FPV attack drone launchers equipped, where this is the first time these two drones entered Syria. Moreover, 35 military and logistic machineries, rocket launchers, missiles and soldiers were brought.
North-east Syria
Russian forces did not carry out any joint patrols with their Turkish counterparts in north-east Syria in October.
Miscellaneous events
As a part of exploiting the residents’ dire living conditions and efforts to woo Syrian people, the Russian reconciliation centre distributed food and aid and school supplies to residents in Tartus, Aleppo, Latakia, Daraa, Damascus and Rif Dimashq.
Separately, four Russian soldiers were killed within Syrian territory. According to information obtained by SOHR, their killing followed a dispute between two brothers in the Russian forces present in Tel Tamer area in the northern countryside of Al-Hasakah, within areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration in north east Syria. The dispute evolved into using a weapon by one of them and shooting the other indirectly, and the other responded with the same thing before random bullets were fired, amid the presence of another group of the forces, which ultimately resulted in the killing of four Russian soldiers, including the two brothers.
SOHR sources confirmed that the incident took place on October 13, and the bodies were taken to the Russian base at Al-Qamishly Airport on the morning of October 14, accompanied by a military convoy comprised of 8 military vehicles, amid the flight of a Russian helicopter in the air.
On the other hand, a high-ranking Russian delegation met, on October 27, with commanders and officers of the 4th Division, 17th Division and 18th Division in Deir Ezzor, including colonel Talal, to discuss the developments in the region. According to reliable SOHR sources, the Russian delegation ordered the Syrian commanders not to attack American bases in the region under any circumstances.
Between the 30th of September 2015 and the 30th of October 2023, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 21,183 persons. The breakdown of fatalities is as follows:
- 8,723 civilians: 2,118 children under the age of eighteen, 1,325 females over the age of eighteen, 5,280 men and young people
- 6,201 ISIS members
- 6,259 fighters of rebel and Islamic Factions, Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamic Turkestani Party, and fighters of Arab and foreign nationalities.
SOHR sources have reported that Russia used “Thermite-type explosives” in their airstrikes, a substance composed of aluminium powder and iron oxide which causes burns as it continues to ignite for about 180 seconds; some bombs used by Russian jets on the Syrian territory were loaded with this substance.
It has been discovered that they are “RBK-500 ZAB 2.5 SM” cluster incendiary bombs each weighing about 500 kg (about 1100 pounds (ca. 499 kilograms)) and they were dropped by military aircraft. They carried anti-individuals and anti-vehicles small-sized bombs of the type (AO 2.5 RTM), loaded with 50 to 110 small-sized bombs stuffed with “Thermite”, which outpour out of it when they explode; the range of these anti-individuals and anti-vehicles bombs reaches 20 to 30 metres.
As the months pass, the Syrians suffer the scourge of the Russian intervention, which seems to resemble a kind of revenge and retaliation against Syrians for protesting against the regime that committed the worst violations against its own people. At a time when the map of alliances and power balances is changing, Russia has become the ultimate winner, succeeding in helping the Syrian regime regaining control over about two-thirds of the country after losing control of most of its territory. Moscow used the pretext of “the war on terror” to commit massacres against civilians, and sponsored and struck agreements that were soon after abandoned. Moscow and its war machine have spilled the blood of Syrians despite claiming to be a “political mediator” or “broker” that can deal with all parties to the conflict.
With all recent changes in the balance of powers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights renews its appeals to the international community to put pressure on Russia to stop its aggression against the Syrians, and to find a political solution to end the Syrian crisis that completed its eleventh year.
