By badanov
 I have been disputing the number of casualties ever since I heard about the 600 dead number two weeks ago. The Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs have been clinging to the 11 dead, the Russian business news outlet, Kommersant said it was 15 dead.
We can assume from the casualty counts that the number of wounded was about three times that for a total casualty count, relying on official counts, of 45 to 50.
Now, from unofficial Russian sources, which are sometimes more accurate than official sources, we have a casualty count of 122 total including dead and wounded. This count I believe.
Russian blogger Chervonets Andryukha said his casualty count, taken from a variety of sources stands at 122: 50 dead and about 72 wounded.
According to Chervonets Andryukha, the battle was at least two reinforced battalions in strength (about 600 effectives divided into three battle groups) not including a tank company (about 10 to 15 tanks, likely T-72s) and a light artillery battalion of mortars.
The composition of the battle group included Syrian forces, local tribes, ISIS Hunters, and three Russian manned assault squads (PMC Wagner) .
Russian commanders at the base at Khmeimim knew nothing about the plans or the attack. The objective was at Hsham, near Deir Ezzor, at a petroleum plant named al-Isba.
As the battlegroup advanced, they were met with a light Kurd covering party, who exchanged fire before retreating.
Mistaking the Kurd tactic, the commanders accelerated their advance, thinking the way to their objective was clear.
Apparently, going by Chervonets Andryukha's description, the battlegroup advanced along a broad front. When the Kurds retreated, two flanking rifle companies begin to shift off away from the main thrust. When the air attack began in earnest, the flanking companies fled the area in disorder, leaving the Russian manned fifth company alone to take the brunt of the air attack.
The air attack was stopped shortly after the Russian commanders in Khmeimim found out about it. By then the battle was over.
The other losses were levies from local Arab tribes and a Carpathian unit, a total of 100.
It is worth noting that the inflated numbers came mostly from Ukrainian and Georgian security services, which can include journalists.
The difference between Chervonets Andryukha's and official numbers may be, according to Chervonets Andryukha, contractors traveling on non-Russian, non CIS passports.
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