Russia assails U.S. mobilization to protect oil fields

MOSCOW — Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday harshly criticized the United States decision to send armored vehicles and combat troops into eastern Syria to protect oil fields.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says the move is aimed at keeping the fields from potentially falling into the hands of Islamic State militants.

On Saturday, a U.S. convoy of over a dozen vehicles was seen driving south of the northeastern city of Qamishli, likely heading to the oilrich Deir elZour area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the convoy, saying it arrived earlier from Iraq.

Russian ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said “what Washington is doing now, the seizure and control of oil fields in eastern Syria under its armed control, is, quite simply, international state banditry.”

He added in a statement that “all hydrocarbon deposits and other minerals located on the territory of Syria do not belong to the (Islamic State) terrorists, and even less to the ‘American defenders from IS terrorists,’ but exclusively to the Syrian Arab Republic.”

“The real cause of this illegal action by the United States in Syria lies far from the ideals that Washington has proclaimed and from the slogans of fighting terrorism,” Konashenkov said.

Esper’s comments were the latest sign that removing the U.S. military from Syria is more complicated than President Trump has described.

Earlier this month, Trump ordered U.S. troops out of northeastern Syria, largely turning his back on Syrian Kurds who battled the Islamic State group alongside the U.S.led coalition since 2015. Trump said he would leave up to 300 troops in southern Syria before Esper said another residual force was being considered in southeastern Syria to protect oil fields.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke by telephone Saturday about Syria.

“From the Russian side, the necessity was emphasized of refraining from steps undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that county,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to officials, military leaders have pushed for the U.S. to leave forces in Syria to guard against an Islamic State resurgence. While the group’s physical zone of control was largely destroyed by U.S. and Syrian Kurdish forces, insurgents remain in pockets in Syria and in Iraq.