Russia's foreign ministry has branded media reports that the country suffered hundreds of casualties in fighting in Syria as "classic disinformation". However, the Kremlin said it couldn't speak for the many Russian civilians living in Syria who had no connection to its armed forces. Associates of Russian military contractors, fighting alongside government forces in Syria, said the contractors suffered large-scale casualties when US-led coalition troops clashed with pro-government forces in the eastern Deir al-Zor province last week.