Russian warships sail down British coast, likely en route to Syria
By Hilary Clarke, CNN
Updated 1:54 PM ET, Thu October 20, 2016
London (CNN)A fleet of Russian warships and fighter jets, including the flagship aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov, has reached the North Sea and is headed for the English Channel, the UK's Ministry of Defence told CNN in a statement.
The flotilla is believed to be on its way to the Mediterranean and eventually, most Western defense analysts believe, to Syria.
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"It's a show of force and a show of capabilities," Peter Felstead, editor of Jane's Defence Weekly, told CNN.
"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."
The UK Ministry of Defense says it is closely monitoring the Russian vessels, which left Russia October 15.
In a statement issued at that time, the Russian navy said the 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."
Russian warship BSF Nikolay Filchenkov 152 passes the Bosphorus Strait off Istanbul on October 18 on its way to Tartus.
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http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/europe/russia-syria-warships-uk-kuznetsov/index.html
By Hilary Clarke, CNN
Updated 1:54 PM ET, Thu October 20, 2016
London (CNN)A fleet of Russian warships and fighter jets, including the flagship aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov, has reached the North Sea and is headed for the English Channel, the UK's Ministry of Defence told CNN in a statement.
The flotilla is believed to be on its way to the Mediterranean and eventually, most Western defense analysts believe, to Syria.
CNN Map
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map
"It's a show of force and a show of capabilities," Peter Felstead, editor of Jane's Defence Weekly, told CNN.
"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."
The UK Ministry of Defense says it is closely monitoring the Russian vessels, which left Russia October 15.
In a statement issued at that time, the Russian navy said the 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."
Russian warship BSF Nikolay Filchenkov 152 passes the Bosphorus Strait off Istanbul on October 18 on its way to Tartus.
...
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/europe/russia-syria-warships-uk-kuznetsov/index.html
