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Russian aircraft destroy terrorist oil refinery in Syria — Defense Ministry

Over the past five days more than 1,000 petrol tank vehicles in Syria that were carrying crude oil to Islamic State refineries have been destroyed

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. Aircraft of the Russian aviation group in Syria over the past two days have destroyed a major oil depot and an oil refinery of terrorists in the vicinity of Raqqa, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Monday.

"Russian bombers, taking off from the Hmeimim airbase were flying on combat missions to destroy tank truck convoys and oil refineries in the areas of oilfields in the north and east of Syria," the spokesman said.

"A major oil depot was destroyed 15 kilometers southwest of the city of Raqqa," Konashenkov added. In addition, he said, Russia’s Sukhoi Su-34 bombers destroyed an oil refinery controlled by terrorists 50 kilometers south of Raqqa and an oil tank farm in the Al-Mahimira desert, 50 kilometers north of Deir ez-Zor.

He said that such facilities in the districts of Palmira, Deir-ez-Zor and Raqqa are controlled by terrorists and are among the main sources of their financing.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, aircraft of the Russian air grouping have destroyed over the past five days more than 1,000 petrol tank vehicles in Syria that were carrying crude oil to Islamic State refineries.

"I want to emphasize that over the past five days more than 1,000 petrol tank vehicles carrying crude oil to plants control by ISIL [former name of the Islamic State terrorist group banned in Russia] have been destroyed by Russian aircraft," Konashenkov said.