Direct proof of use
The Su-34 is documented in the 2011 Syrian Civil War as a Russian Aerospace Forces strike aircraft. CNA's overview of Russia's Syria air campaign lists four Su-34 fighter-bombers in the first Russian deployment to Syria, alongside Su-24, Su-25, Su-30SM, and Il-20 aircraft at the start of the intervention.
RAND's campaign study describes deployed Su-24 and Su-34 aircraft at Hmeimim as persistently allocated to Syrian Arab Army counter-opposition operations in the northwest, west, and south. Separate reporting by The Guardian and RUSI documents a later 2016 phase in which Su-34 aircraft flew Syria strike operations from Iran's Hamadan air base.
Sources: CNA Russian Air Campaign Syria, RAND Russian Air Campaign Syria, Guardian Hamadan Airbase Syria, RUSI Russian Bombers Iran
Dated milestones
Russia began its open air intervention in Syria on September 30, 2015. The initial force package included Su-34 fighter-bombers, and contemporary reporting soon placed Su-34 aircraft and air-to-ground munitions at Hmeimim air base.
On August 16, 2016, Russian aircraft including Su-34 and Tu-22M3 bombers used Hamadan air base in Iran for Syria strikes. The Guardian reported that Russian state media cited the defense ministry saying those aircraft targeted Islamic State near Aleppo; RUSI described Su-34s as conducting operations from bases in Iran after previous deployment from Latakia.
On September 4, 2018, Russia said two Su-34 and two Su-35S aircraft struck rebel drone and man-portable air-defense missile stockpiles in Idlib governorate. The War Zone reported that the aircraft flew from Khmeimim and that Russia released strike footage the following day.
Sources: CNA Russian Air Campaign Syria, VOA Russian Airstrikes Mirror Assad, Guardian Hamadan Airbase Syria, RUSI Russian Bombers Iran, The War Zone Idlib Precision Strikes
Role in the conflict
In Syria, the Su-34's supported role was Russian fixed-wing strike and interdiction on behalf of the Syrian government and its allies, rather than a transfer to Syrian forces. RAND places most deployed Su-24 and Su-34 aircraft in support of Syrian Arab Army counter-opposition operations outside the Deir al-Zour axis, while noting that long-range strike aircraft were rotated when Russia needed other air-support options for Deir al-Zour.
The available sources document both basing and use. CNA supports the aircraft's presence in the opening Russian deployment; RAND supports its allocation to strike operations from Hmeimim; Guardian and RUSI support the Hamadan sortie phase; and The War Zone documents a named 2018 Idlib mission involving two Su-34 aircraft. The sources do not support attributing every Russian airstrike in Syria to Su-34 aircraft, so this record treats the aircraft as a documented Russian strike platform within the wider air campaign.
Sources: RAND Russian Air Campaign Syria, CNA Russian Air Campaign Syria, Guardian Hamadan Airbase Syria, RUSI Russian Bombers Iran, The War Zone Idlib Precision Strikes
