Russian Covert Forces in Syria

So, how do the Russians keep the number of troops down in Syria, covering their losses when an errant bomb falls on them?  They use a couple of methods, outlined in my last book, The New Cyberwar, that are similar to those used in Ukraine to be able to deny (until very recently) that regular army troops were supporting the rebellion.  For you Star Wars fans, they were not the good guys in this story.  

The Russians first deny that any deaths have occurred.  Mothers do not find out their sons have died;  they just don't get any letters from them anymore.  In some cases, they did allow closed ceremonies for covert forces and these were not covered in the press.  Some people took videos and leaked one such story to the New York Times.  In other cases, they pretend these people do not exist.  They went over for "vacation" and decided to stay.  One person, discovered by the Ukraine government, had six I'd cards in different names, one of them from Russian Special Forces.  Not the brightest bulb on the planet to be carrying his special forces ID with him.

In a story last week in the Wall Street Journal [http://www.wsj.com/articles/up-to-nine-russian-contractors-die-in-syria-experts-say-1450467757  ] we find that nine contractors were killed when a mortar round fell on them.  The story goes on to say, "The incident, experts say, shows how Russia has used contractors to perform quasi-military tasks, avoiding the political repercussions of deploying uniformed troops—and steering clear of the domestic concerns that come with the deaths of soldiers."  
It is a sad commentary on a country that does not only not honor its dead, it denies them.  Even the CIA puts stars on the wall at the Headquarters.  They may not carry a name, but the dead are honored in way everyone understands.