Britain's navy keeps eye on Russia's 'ship of shame'

Britain's defense secretary had some
harsh words for the Russian military on
Wednesday as UK warships and warplanes tracked
Russia's only aircraft carrier through the English
Channel.
"We are keeping a close eye on the Admiral
Kuznetsov as it skulks back to Russia; a ship of
shame whose mission has only extended the
suffering of the Syrian people," Defense Secretary
Sir Michael Fallon said.
The carrier and its escort are on their way back to
Russia after participating in airstrikes in Syria.
They left the Mediterranean Sea earlier this month.
Russia's air strikes in support of the forces of
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been
crucial in helping them to gain the upper hand in
the long-running conflict.
In December, they succeeded in pushing rebel
fighters from the key city of Aleppo.
Syria's brutal civil war has raged on for nearly six
years and killed an estimated 400,000 people.

Fallon said British forces were keeping a close
eye on the Russian ships as they plied the
English Channel.
"We are man-marking these vessels every step of
the way around the UK as part of our steadfast
commitment to keep Britain safe," Fallon said.
The defense minister's comments were
accompanied by photos of British jets and ships
shadowing the Kuznetsov and its escort, the
guided missile cruiser Petr Velikiy.
British forces also shadowed the Russian carrier
in October on its way to Syria.
At the time, Russia said the Kuzentsov's voyage
was "to ensure naval presence in the important
areas of the world ocean. Special focus will be
made on safeguarding security of maritime traffic
and other types of Russian maritime economic
activity and also responding to new kinds of
modern threats such as piracy and international
terrorism."

But others took a different view.
"It's a show of force and a show of capabilities,"
Peter Felstead, editor of Jane's Defence Weekly,said''In terms of strike missions,
they (the Russians) could just as easily have
conducted them with the land-based aircraft they
already have in Syria."