Russia surprised by US 'blindness' to trucks delivering Daesh oil to Turkey

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that it was surprised by the "blindness" of US authorities in regard to photo evidence showing trucks delivering Daesh oil to Turkey.

"Finally, our colleagues from the [US] State Department and the Pentagon confirmed that photo evidence we had presented at a briefing (showing the routes of oil smuggling from terrorist-controlled areas) is authentic. However, their claims that they 'do not see the border crossings with tank trucks that cross the border', cause a smile, at least because the photo is a static image," Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

"When US officials claim that they do not see oil smuggled by terrorists to Turkey, it looks like an outright patronage rather than slyness," Konashenkov added.

Earlier, a US Department of State official told journalists that the Russian Defense Ministry photos showing hundreds of trucks with Daesh oil are authentic. He noted, however, that "what I have not seen is imagery of the border crossing with trucks crossing the border, and that's because I don't believe that exists."

On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry provided satellite images showing Daesh transporting up to 200,000 barrels of oil in at least 1,722 trucks to third-party countries, most notably Turkey on the northern border. Pentagon rejected Russia’s evidence of Turkey’s involvement in oil deals with Daesh militants.

Pentagon has all reconnaissance means necessary to record oil smuggling from the territories controlled by Daesh to Turkey, ministry's spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

Sources: MENA