RAF escort for Putin’s ‘ship of shame’ used to bomb Syrians
VLADIMIR Putin’s only aircraft carrier was condemned as a ‘ship of shame’ by Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon last night as it sailed menacingly close to Britain.
Four RAF warplanes and a Royal Navy ship shadowed the 55,000-ton Admiral Kuznetsov as it passed the White Cliffs of Dover.
The Soviet-era flagship was 14 miles from the coast as it sailed up the Channel towards the North Sea on its journey to Russia from Syria.
Last night, it was due to be off Felixstowe in Suffolk. It is likely to be escorted by the RAF and Navy for the rest of the week – at an estimated cost of £1million.
The carrier is being accompanied by the nuclear-powered Kirov-class battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy – Russian for Peter the Great.
Sir Michael said the Kuznetsov was ‘a ship of shame whose mission has only extended the suffering of the Syrian people’, adding: ‘We are man-marking these vessels every step of the way around the UK.’
In a tweet, the Russian embassy in London mocked the MoD, saying: ‘UK reported to spend £1.4million on escorting Admiral Kuznetsov. Russian Navy always willing to oblige.’
The frigate HMS St Albans, equipped with a Merlin helicopter, was ‘closely monitoring’ the carrier and its support ships, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement yesterday.
Four Typhoon fighters were also deployed to keep watch on the flotilla after it approached Britain on Tuesday night.
Russia’s only aircraft carrier, which served in the Soviet navy from 1985, passed through the Channel three months ago on its way to support Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Its passage through the Channel was seen as provocative, following condemnation of Russia for targeting civilians. Air strikes from the Admiral Kuznetsov on rebel targets in Syria marked the first time it was used in combat.