Landmark report calls on Russia to acknowledge leading role in Syrian humanitarian catastrophe

A two-year inquiry by Russian NGOs has documented those responsible for the disaster in Syria, including pointing a finger at Moscow, reports Oliver Carroll

Russian president Vladimir Putin addresses the troops at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, in December 2017 (AP)

A new human rights report has called on Moscow to take more responsibility for the humanitarian fallout from the 10-year Syrian conflict.

The inquiry, authored by a group of Russian non-governmental organisations, documents widespread use of arbitrary detentions, torture, rape, and indiscriminate weapons and military tactics by a range of actors from the US-led coalition to the Syrian regime.

Drawing from 150 in-depth interviews conducted over two years, it describes the consequences of a “devastating decade” that has left over half a million dead, and 130,000 detained or disappeared.