We reveal the great Russian oil heist. Oil is the lifeblood of the Russian economy – but millions of tons are stolen annually, while the country’s network of pipelines is looted. Law enforcement is often in on it, receiving tens of thousands of dollars in bribes weekly. Sometimes, FSB officers are overseeing the theft schemes. Violent turf wars erupt, but criminal gang members rarely make it to trial or receive harsh punishment. And the illegal tapping of the pipelines carries great risk to the environment.

The new investigation by our Russian Service: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-oil-pipeline-theft-transneft/31163179.html

Tune in for our weekly Russia podcast, where Enterprise Editor Carl Schreck joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the revealing report: https://www.rferl.org/a/week-ahead-in-russia-podcast-russian-oil-heist/31163428.html

For insight on the most important weekly developments in Russia, subscribe to The Week In Russia newsletter by the editor of RFE/RL’s Russia Desk, Steve Gutterman. https://www.rferl.org/p/the-week-in-russia.html

#investigationstory #russia_news

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This post was originally published on Radio Free.