Russian Airstrikes in Syria: September 30 - October 24, 2015
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) discontinued the release of official reporting on airstrikes in Syria from October 23 – 24 amidst reports of high civilian casualties. However, credible local sources continued to report instances of Russian airstrikes throughout Aleppo, Latakia, Idlib, Hama, Homs, and Damascus Provinces. Russian airstrikes reportedly hit three separate hospitals in the provinces of Idlib, Hama, and ar-Raqqah since October 20, including a strike against a hospital in the town of Al Latamneh in northern Hama on October 23. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed on October 23 that Russian airstrikes resulted in the deaths of almost 151 civilians in Syria. These reports come in direct conflict with the Russian MoD’s insistence that airstrikes are not targeting populated locations in Syria.