Putin to send 150,000 soldiers to wipe ISIL off the face of the earth

Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to send 150,000 soldiers to Syria to fight against the members of the Islamic State. Namely, Putin will mobilize 150,000 reservists he called up last week, reports Express.co.uk.

A large military operation is expected to take place on the ground, and Russian soldiers would, in the process, retake their stronghold and self-proclaimed capital Raqqa from the Islamists, which is allegedly patrolled by 5,000 jihadists.

- It is clear that this has become a race for Raqqa. Russia wants to occupy the western part of that country, including Raqqa, as well as all oil and gas sources around Palmyra - stated an unnamed source.

This announcement comes just a day after the Russians bombed nine ISIL command centers, potentially killing more members of that terrorist group.

Russia, however, denies that it wants to achieve its economic interests with airstrikes against Islamists in Syria. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the claims that Russia is protecting the arms market with its actions, as well as fighting Qatar's efforts to have its gas pipeline reach the Mediterranean Sea and replace Europe's supply of Russian gas, a conspiracy theory.