Attachments
Introduction
In 2021, the White Helmets - Syria Civil Defence witnessed a new trend in attacks on civilians in Northwest Syria. We documented 63 attacks using laser-guided weapons called Krasnopol shells. This is the first time in the ten-year long conflict that the use of this weapon has been recorded by the White Helmets teams.
This weapon is deadly: while only 4% of the attackswe witnessed used Krasnopol shells, they resulted in 20% of all civilian deaths caused by military attacks in 2021.
These Russian-made shells appear to be fired by the Assad Regime with the support of an external designator, such as a ground contingent or via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or drone.(1)
The White Helmets is a humanitarian organisation composed of almost 3,000 civilian volunteers dedicated to helping communities prepare for, respond to, and rebuild after attacks. In our role as first responders, we have also become the primary witnesses to war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria. We are the first on the scene after attacks take place and document what we witness to support future accountability and justice efforts for Syrians.
The targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Northwest has a devastating impact, increasing the daily suffering of the 4.2 million people living in the region. Civilians are being continually displaced by the Regime and Russia's attacks. The Northwest hosts 2.8 million displaced people, of whom 1.7 million live in temporary camps. 90% of the population are food insecure, with a strong reliance on humanitarian aid. A recent wave of Covid-19 overwhelmed the already stretched health system and the population struggles to access basic services like primary and emergency healthcare.