Russian airstrikes blast ISIS oil facilities in Syria

In a video posted online by the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, the Russian words “За Парижа” – or “for Paris” in English – are written on what appears to be bombs on a Russian jet in Syria.

Russia’s Defense Minister says that the military has destroyed a number of oil facilities and tankers controlled by the Islamic State group, cutting its income.

Main efforts were concentrated on undermining the finance and economic capacity of the IS, which would prevent daily supplies of 60,000 tons of oil worth 1.5 million USA dollars flowing to the black market, the statement added.

Putin told the military to step up the bombing after the confirmation that the Russian plane crash in Egypt that killed all 224 people on board was downed by a bomb, which the Islamic State group said it had planted.

Putin has discussed cooperating on fighting ISIS during his meetings with President Barack Obama and other Western leaders at the sidelines of the Group of 20 rich and developing nations in Turkey this week.

A Tu-160 launches a Kh-101 cruise missile against a target in Syria.

According to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, a series of cruise missile strikes in and around the city of Deir Ezzor killed “over 600” ISIS militants over the course of four days, part of his statement on the ongoing escalation of airstrikes against ISIS across Syria.

French President Francois Hollande is set to travel to Washington and Moscow next week for talks on joint military action against IS, and Putin already has ordered the military to cooperate with the French.

US officials said last month four missiles launched from Russian warships in the Caspian Sea had crashed in Iran, but Moscow insisted they had reached their targets in Syria.

U.S. and French planes have also struck at oil targets in Deir el-Zour and elsewhere.

Russian Federation had initially drawn significant criticism from the global community when it began its bombing campaign in Syria in September, with many suggesting the strikes were aimed at supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and not helping the Syrian people. The Russian military hasn’t yet commented on the exercise.