Russian military says its bombing sharply cut IS oil incomes

Russian ground crew are inscribing the words “For Paris” on a few bombs destined to be dropped on targets in Syria, in a message of solidarity with the victims of last week’s Paris attacks.

He said earlier that Russian warplanes were focusing their strikes on the IS’ oil production and refining facilities as well as oil trucks.

President Vladimir Putin said the attack had deprived IS of $1.5 million in daily income from oil sales.

Russia, which has conducted an air campaign in Syria since September 30, sharply raised the intensity starting Tuesday following confirmation that the Russian Metrojet plane in Egypt was downed by a bomb, which the Islamic State group said it had planted.

In four days of heavy bombing against IS, the ministry said, more than 100 cruise missiles were launched and more than 800 “terrorist” targets destroyed in Syria. All 224 people on board were killed.

French President Francois Hollande will visit Washington and Moscow next week for talks on pooling USA, Russian and French efforts against IS.

Russian Federation has also given the United States advance notice in the past week of actions involving cruise missiles and long-range bombers that crossed Iranian and Iraqi airspace into Syria, the official said.

Moscow claimed to have killed more than 600 fighters after hitting seven targets in the Raqa, Idlib and Aleppo provinces, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Putin hailed the military’s performance, but added that “there is still a lot of work to do…to rid Syria of militants and terrorists and protect Russian Federation from possible terror attacks”.

The Russian military, over the last month, has conducted bombing missions in Syria and fired multiple cruise missiles at the IS stronghold of Raqqa, a Syrian city.

The date of the strike could not be confirmed but the defense officials stated that the missiles were fired from the Caspian Sea.