Russia escalates tensions by deploying aircraft carrier to Syria

Russia is sending its only aircraft carrier to a position near Syria’s coast, as peace talks falter at the United Nations in New York.

During a televised meeting yesterday, Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu announced that Moscow was dispatching its flagship aircraft carrier to bolster its forces in the eastern Mediterranean off Syria.

The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which was built during the Soviet era, will be sent to join Russia’s current naval deployment along the Syrian coast.

“Currently the Russian naval deployment to the east Mediterranean consists of no less than six battleships and three or four support vessels,” Shoygu said during the meeting.

“In order to bolster the military capabilities of the group we plan to add the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier to the group,” Shoygu added, without specifying a timeframe.

Russia has a base in government-controlled Syrian territory from which it has flown most of its bombing raids in the country.

The deployment of the aircraft carrier will be seen as a potential contingency plan should peace talks fail. The US has blamed the Russian military for carrying out airstrikes against an aid convoy on Monday night which led to the collapse of the ceasefire.