2011 Syrian Civil War

Kh-55/Kh-555 in the 2011 Syrian Civil War

Russian long-range aviation used Kh-555 conventional air-launched cruise missiles from strategic bombers during the November 2015 Syria strike series.

Weapon profileKh-55/Kh-555
SideSyrian government and alliesRoleLong-Range Strike
Kh-55/Kh-555, Air-launched subsonic cruise missile family, Munitions - 2011 Syrian Civil War
Image source: Kh-55 AS-15 Kent 2016 G1.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Russian Tu-95MS-8 bombers fired several Kh-555 missiles in Syria on November 17, 2015.

Sources: CNA Russian Air Campaign

Russia's November 2015 strike expansion used mainland-based long-range aviation and appeared to include Kh-555 air-to-ground missiles.

Sources: War on the Rocks Syria Strikes

Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces summarized the operation as involving Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers and 34 long-range cruise missiles.

Sources: Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces Syria Strikes

The Kh-555 is the conventional variant of the Kh-55 family and can be carried by Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers.

Sources: CSIS Kh-55

Timeline

Kh-55/Kh-555 In 2011 Syrian Civil War

  1. Russia announces Metrojet bombing finding

    CNA places the November 2015 long-range strike escalation after Russia's announcement that Metrojet Flight 9268 had been destroyed by an Islamic State bomb.

    Sources: CNA Russian Air Campaign

  2. Tu-95MS-8 bombers fire Kh-555 missiles

    CNA reports that three Tu-95MS-8 strategic bombers fired several Kh-555 missiles in Syria during the first day of the four-day strike surge.

    Sources: CNA Russian Air Campaign

  3. Four-day strategic-aviation strike period

    CNA says the four-day campaign used 85 air-launched cruise missiles, 18 sea-launched missiles, and 1,400 tons of air bombs against 826 targets.

    Sources: CNA Russian Air Campaign

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Kh-555 use in the 2011 Syrian Civil War is documented in accounts of Russia's November 2015 long-range aviation strikes. CNA's study of the Russian air campaign states that on November 17, 2015, three Tu-95MS-8 bombers fired several Kh-555 missiles after taking off from Russia and flying more than 6,500 kilometers.

War on the Rocks described the same strike expansion as Russia's use of mainland-based long-range aviation in Syria and identified what appeared to be Kh-555 air-to-ground missiles, the conventional Kh-55 variant. Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces also summarized the Russian military account of the operation as involving Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers and 34 long-range cruise missiles.

Sources: CNA Russian Air Campaign, War on the Rocks Syria Strikes, Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces Syria Strikes

Timeline

The cited public record centers on the November 17-20, 2015 strike period after Russia announced that the Metrojet Flight 9268 crash had been caused by an Islamic State bomb. CNA describes this as the start of an unofficial four-day retaliation campaign in which Russia added strategic aviation from Russian territory to its Syria air campaign.

On November 17, CNA reports that Tu-160 bombers fired Kh-101 missiles and Tu-95MS-8 bombers fired several Kh-555 missiles. The same study says Russia used 85 air-launched cruise missiles, 18 sea-launched missiles, and 1,400 tons of air bombs over the four-day campaign.

Sources: CNA Russian Air Campaign

Narrative

In Syria, the Kh-555 appears in the public record as a Russian standoff-strike weapon used by long-range aviation on the Syrian government and allied side of the war. The documented launch platform in the cited direct-use source is the Tu-95MS-8 strategic bomber; broader accounts of the operation also include Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 bombers in the same Russian long-range aviation strike package.

The Kh-555 was relevant to this strike series because it was the conventional derivative of the Kh-55 family. CSIS describes the Kh-555 as replacing the Kh-55 nuclear warhead with conventional high-explosive, penetrating, or submunitions payload options and lists Tu-95MS and Tu-160 variants among carrier aircraft for the Kh-55/Kh-555 family.

The sources support Russian use of Kh-555 missiles in Syria in November 2015. They do not support use by opposition, Islamic State, coalition, Turkish, or Israeli forces in the Syrian Civil War.

Sources: CNA Russian Air Campaign, War on the Rocks Syria Strikes, CSIS Kh-55

Related Weapons by Role

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Tu-95, Strategic turboprop bomber and cruise-missile carrier, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsTu-95Strategic turboprop bomber and cruise-missile carrierThe Tupolev Tu-95 is a Soviet-designed four-engine turboprop strategic bomber family whose Tu-95MS and Tu-95MSM missile-carrier variants remain part of Russia's long-range aviation force. UAC traces the Bear's role from early nuclear missile carriage to the Tu-95MS cruise-missile carrier, while FAS and conflict reporting document its continuing use for standoff Kh-55/Kh-555 and Kh-101/Kh-102 strike missions in Syria and Ukraine.
Kh-32, Supersonic air-launched anti-ship and land-attack cruise missile, ArtilleryArtilleryKh-32Supersonic air-launched anti-ship and land-attack cruise missileThe Kh-32 is a Russian supersonic air-launched cruise missile derived from the Kh-22 family for long-range attacks on ships and fixed ground targets. Built by the Raduga design bureau within Russia's Tactical Missiles Corporation network, it is carried by Tu-22M3-series bombers and combines a high-altitude flight profile, inertial navigation, and terminal radar homing. Russia has used the Kh-22/Kh-32 family against Ukraine, where its speed, steep terminal profile, and anti-ship design heritage make interception difficult and raise accuracy risks when fired at urban land targets.
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Kh-69, Air-launched land-attack cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsKh-69Air-launched land-attack cruise missileThe Kh-69 is a Russian subsonic air-launched land-attack cruise missile developed by Raduga within Tactical Missiles Corporation for precision strikes against fixed targets. Its compact square-section body and folding surfaces are tied to tactical-aircraft carriage, including Su-34, Su-35, and Su-57 launch contexts, while its guidance stack combines inertial, satellite, terrain-height, and electro-optical terminal inputs. The missile has been documented in Russian strikes during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, including the April 2024 destruction of the Trypilska thermal power plant.
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Sources