Russia has accused the US of stealing Syrian oil

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Newsweek reported Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoi, Main Operations Directorate chief, told reporters that the US had mobilised 2,700 militants around their Al-Tanf based by the Jordanian border. Mr Rudskoi claimed the militants from Maghawir al-Thawra and the Army of Free Tribes were being transferred by American helicopters for "sabotage, the destruction of oil and gas infrastructure and commit terrorist attacks against government forces”. The official claimed: "Aside from training militants, the U.S. structures in Syria are involved in plundering oil facilities and deposits in the area across the Euphrates that belongs to the legitimate Syrian government.

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“Lately, US private military companies have been observed to actively beef up their personnel. Today, the mercenaries of the private military companies in Syria exceed 3,500 people.”

He claimed the companies were part of a “criminal scheme” to “loot” Syrian oil in the Conaco, Al-Omar and Tanak oilfields.

Mr Rudskoi then said the revenue from oil sales were "spent on maintaining illegal armed groups, bribing the sheiks of Arab tribal unions and fomenting anti-government sentiments."

Washington has long had to deal with accusations that foreign policy interventions in Iraq and Libya as well as current tensions in Iran and Venezuela are being influenced by oil.

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