| Russian military intervention in Syria |
Part of the Syrian Civil War, Cold War II,
and the military intervention against ISIL
|
A Russian Su-34 conducting an airstrike in Syria |
| Date |
30 September 2015 – present
(1 year, 4 months and 1 week) |
| Location |
Syria |
| Result |
Ongoing
- Pro-government forces capture 586 settlements and 12,000 sq km of territory
- Major pro-government strategic gains in Latakia, Palmyra and Aleppo theaters
- Russian forces partially withdraw
- Russian airforce in indefinite deployment, air-strikes to continue post-withdrawal
|
|
| Belligerents |
|
 Russia
In support of:
Russia
In support of:
 Syrian Democratic Forces
Russia
In support of:
 Turkey (2017)
 Serbia (October 2016) |
 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
 Syrian opposition
Supported by:
 Army of Conquest (2015–17)
 Tahrir al-Sham (2017–present)
Supported by:
|
| Commanders and leaders |
Vladimir Putin
Sergey Shoygu
Valery Gerasimov
Sergey Rudskoy
Viktor Bondarev
Aleksandr Dvornikov(September 2015 - June 2016)
Alexander Zhuravlyov(from July 2016)
|
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Abu Mohammad al-Adnani † (Spokesperson)
Abu Suleiman al-Naser † (Replacement Military Chief)
Abu Ali al-Anbari † (Deputy, Syria)
Abu Omar al-Shishani † (Field commander in Syria) |
 Basil Zamo † (1st Coastal Division chief of staff)
 Abu Yahia al-Hamawi(Leader of Ahrar ash-Sham)
  Zahran Alloush † (emir of Jaysh al-Islam)
Abu Jaber (Leader of Tahrir al-Sham)
  Abu Mohammad al-Julani (Leader of al-Nusra Front)
Abu Hajer al-Homsi † (al-Nusra Front top military commander)
|
| Units involved |
|
 Russian Armed Forces:
 Foreign Intelligence Service:
|
Military of ISIL
|
Free Syrian Army
Army of Conquest (2015–17)
Tahrir al-Sham (2017–present)
 Jund al-Aqsa
 Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
 Ajnad al-Sham
Ahrar ash-Sham
 Sham Legion
|
| Strength |
|
Troop strength
4,000 personnel
Naval ships
3 Buyan-M-class corvettes
1 Gepard-class frigate
1 Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate
1 Vishnya-class intelligence ship
1 Improved Kilo-class submarine
1 Slava-class cruiser
Kuznetsov aircraft carrier battlegroup
1 Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier
1 Kirov-class battlecruiser
2 Udaloy-class destroyers
support vessels
Strategic bombers
14 Tu-22M3
6 Tu-95MSM
5 Tu-160
Tactical bombers
12 Su-24M2
8 Su-34
Attack bombers
12 Su-25SM
Fighter aircraft
4 Su-30SM
4 Su-35S
Interceptor aircraft
MiG-31BM
Reconnaissance aircraft
Il-20M1
Tu-214R
Attack helicopter
12 Mi-24P
2 Mi-28N
2 Ka-52
Utility helicopter
4 Mi-8AMTSh
UAV
Orlan-10
Forpost
Ground arms and equipment
UGV
Uran-6
MRAP
Kamaz TyphoonSRBM (presumed)
2 9K720 Iskander (SS-26) missile launchers
SAM
3 SA-22, other anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons, including S-400 and S-300VM
|
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant:
30,000–100,000 fighters (per the CIA and the Iraqi Kurdistan Chief of Staff)
Small numbers of tanks and assorted armored vehicles |
Free Syrian Army:
Between 45,000 and 60,000 fighters (disputed)
Islamic Front : (2015 only)
40,000–70,000
al-Nusra Front:
20,000
Ahrar ash-Sham:
26,000–30,000+ |
| Casualties and losses |
|
23 soldiers killed
5 helicopters and 3 warplanes lost (5 hostile fire; see here)
13–19 PMCs killed (denied by Russia)
|
2,987 killed (per SOHR)
|
3,153 killed (per SOHR)
|
|
4,674 civilians killed (per SOHR)
28,000–35,000 fighters from al-Nusra Front and ISIL killed (per Russia). |
...
Turkey (2017)
Serbia (October 2016)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Vladimir Putin
Abu Hajer al-Homsi † (al-Nusra Front top military commander)
Sham Legion
Syrian Democratic Forces