28-04-2024 07:12 AM Jerusalem Timing

Russian Defense: Turkey Involved in Illegal Oil Trade with ISIL

Russian Defense: Turkey Involved in Illegal Oil Trade with ISIL

Russian Defense Ministry stressed Wednesday that Turkey’s leadership, including President Erdogan and his family, is involved in illegal oil trade with ISIL militants.

Russia strikes in SyriaRussian Defense Ministry stressed Wednesday that Turkey’s leadership, including President Erdogan and his family, is involved in illegal oil trade with militants of the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) takfiri group, noting that Turkey is the final destination for oil smuggled from Syria and Iraq.

During a major briefing on new findings concerning IS funding in Moscow on Wednesday, Deputy Minister Anatoly Antonov, Russia is aware of three main oil smuggling routes to Turkey.

However, since the start of Russia’s anti-terrorist operation in Syria on September 30, the income of ISIL militants from illegal oil smuggling has been significantly reduced, the ministry said.

“The income of this terrorist organization was about $3 million per day. After two months of Russian airstrikes their income was about $1.5 million a day,” Lieutenant-General Sergey Rudskoy was quoted by RT website as saying.

The US-led coalition is not bombing ISIL oil trucks, Rudskoy added.