Russia's Defence Ministry on Saturday accused the United States of smuggling oil from eastern Syria to other countries with convoys guarded by private military companies and special operations forces.
"In the event of any attack on such a convoy, US special operations forces and combat aviation will be immediately used to protect it," said Igor Konashenkov, the Russian ministry's spokesman, reports Xinhua.
The United States extracts oil in Syria using equipment delivered bypassing its own sanctions, he said.
Given that the cost of one barrel of oil smuggled from Syria is 38 US dollars, the monthly revenue of the "private business" of US public services exceeds 30 million dollars, he said.
"To secure such a continuous financial flow free from control and taxes, the top officials at the Pentagon and Langley (i.e. the Central Intelligence Agency) will be willing to guard and protect oil wells in Syria from the imaginary 'hidden cells of the Islamic State' indefinitely," he said.
