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Russian Airstrikes in Syria: October 29 - November 8, 2015

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed airstrikes in Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Lattakia, Homs, Hama, and Raqqa from November 6 – November 8. Credible local sources substantiated strike claims in Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Homs, and Hama during this time period, but failed to verify reports of Russian airstrikes in Raqqa province. Russian airstrikes continued to support regime ground operations with limited effect.

Russian Airstrikes in Syria: October 29 - November 8, 2015

Key Takeaway: The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed airstrikes in Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Lattakia, Homs, Hama, and Raqqa from November 6 – November 8. Credible local sources substantiated strike claims in Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Homs, and Hama during this time period, but failed to verify reports of Russian airstrikes in Raqqa province. Russian airstrikes continued to support regime ground operations with limited effect.

Russian Airstrikes in Syria: October 27 - November 5th, 2015

Key Takeaway: Russian warplanes continued to target core ISIS-held terrain in Syria following regime anti-ISIS operations in Homs and Aleppo. Russian airstrikes targeted ISIS’s positions in ar-Raqqa, Homs, and reportedly Deir ez-Zour from November 4 - 5. Local sources reported that Russian airstrikes targeted the ISIS-held town of Albu Kamal near the Iraqi border in Deir ez-Zour Province on November 5, claiming that the strikes killed over 50 civilians.

Russian Airstrikes in Syria: October 27 - November 5, 2015

Russian warplanes continued to target core ISIS-held terrain in Syria following regime anti-ISIS operations in Homs and Aleppo. Russian airstrikes targeted ISIS’s positions in ar-Raqqa, Homs, and reportedly Deir ez-Zour from November 4 - 5. The majority of Russian strikes, however, targeted rebel-held areas in the provinces of Damascus, Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo.

Russian Military Activity: October 27-November 3, 2015

Russia continues to leverage its military intervention in Syria to assert its great power status in the Middle East. Following inconclusive multilateral talks in Vienna on October 30, Russia claimed to have conducted airstrikes in direct coordination with the Syrian opposition in order to present itself as a cooperative actor, and possibly to sow distrust among rebel groups.

U.S. Options For A Syrian No-Fly Zone

The U.S. can and should act decisively in Syria in order to protect its national security interests and those of its allies. The current exodus of refugees from Syria presents significant economic and security challenges to America’s allies in Europe and the Middle East, and directly benefits the Syrian Assad regime, Iran, Hezbollah, Russia, the Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (JN), and the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS).

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