Russia calls US move to protect Syrian oil 'banditry'

Russia's Defense Ministry on Saturday harshly criticised the United States decision to send armoured vehicles and combat troops into eastern Syria to protect oil fields.

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper says the move is aimed at keeping the fields from potentially falling into the hands of Islamic State militants.

On Saturday, a US convoy of over a dozen vehicles was seen driving south of the northeastern city of Qamishli, likely heading to the oil-rich Deir el-Zour area or another base before it.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the convoy, saying it arrived earlier from Iraq.

Russian ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said "what Washington is doing now, the seizure and control of oil fields in eastern Syria under its armed control, is, quite simply, international state banditry."
He added in a statement that "all hydrocarbon deposits and other minerals located on the territory of Syria do not belong to the IS terrorists, and even less to the 'American defenders from IS terrorists,' but exclusively to the Syrian Arab Republic."