By Genevieve Casagrande and Jodi Brignola
Key Takeaway: The tempo of Russian air operations slowed considerably from January 4 -
7. ISW was only able to confirm 17 locations of Russian airstrikes
during the reporting period, the lowest volume of Russian strikes since
early October 2015. The cause of this decrease currently remains
unclear; as the lull may have been caused by changing weather
conditions, shifts in Russian posturing inside Syria, or deferred
maintenance activities following several weeks of heavy Russian
airstrikes.
The following
graphic depicts ISW’s assessment of Russian airstrike locations based on
reports from local Syrian activist networks, Syrian state-run media,
and statements by Russian and Western officials. This map represents
locations targeted by Russia’s air campaign, rather than the number of
individual strikes or sorties.
High-Confidence reporting. ISW
places high confidence in reports corroborated both by official
government statements reported through credible channels and
documentation from rebel factions or activist networks on the ground in
Syria deemed to be credible.
Low-Confidence reporting. ISW places low confidence in secondary sources that have not been confirmed or sources deemed likely to contain disinformation.