on 20 september, the russian defense ministry accused the us-backed sdf of assisting isil in east deir ez-zor in various ways in an attempt to prevent the syrian army and its paramilitaries from capturing the region. russian general igor konashenkov, spokesman for the ministry, noted that the strongest isil counter-attacks and artillery shelling on the syrian army bridge on the eastern bank of the euphrates river came from the north where the us and kurdish forces hold positions, not from the south where most isil forces were. the russian general accused the us coalition of other acts of sabotage against the forces of the syrian army. us denied complicity with isis.