Reports say a map shown by the Russian military on state television appears to show that a Russian artillery unit could be operating in the central Syrian region of Homs.
The map was shown in footage during a Defense Ministry briefing with President Vladimir Putin on November 17.
Spotted by a Russian military blogger, the map apparently showed that several 152mm howitzers of the 120th Artillery Brigade based in the Kemerovo region are deployed close to the Syrian town of Sadad, some 60 kilometers south of Homs.
Asked about the map, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Russian troops were not taking part in ground operations.
A Syrian military source was quoted as saying there were "Russian counselors in Sadad advising the Syrian Army on the artillery."