Russian President Vladimir Putin has sharply criticized nations like the U.S. for ignoring the environmental impact of shale oil and gas production, describing it as a "barbaric" process that the Kremlin has no interest in pursuing.

Speaking at a business conference in Moscow Wednesday, Putin said: "Today's technology of shale oil production and shale gas are without any doubt … barbaric."

"These technologies destroy the environment," he explained via a translation, before adding that the areas affected by the extraction process were typically left in a "precarious situation."

"In spite of all of the economic benefits, we do not need it and we will never do this," Putin said.

The U.S. Department of Energy was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC on Wednesday. Output increases in the Permian Basin of Texas, as well as other major formations, have helped the U.S. become the world's largest producer of oil.