Russia Is Upping The Ante By Sending Its Only Aircraft Carrier To The Mediterranean
The carrier — named the "Admiral Kuznetsov" — is quite the beast, and word of its addition to the area of operations is just the latest in jockeying between the U.S. and Russia.
The heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser is the only one in Russia's fleet, so its deployment is an unmistakable signal of Moscow's seriousness about protecting their regional interests, some of which are directly tied to the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian port of Tartus.
In May a detachment from Russia’s Pacific Fleet entered the Mediterranean waters for the first time since the Cold War.
"The Russian Defense Ministry started setting up a special force of warships in the Mediterranean in order to protect Russia's interests in the region,"
The support Russia has provided to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the 26-month conflict includes guns, grenades, tank parts, fighter jets, advanced antiship cruise missiles, long-range air defense missiles, military officers as advisors, diplomatic cover, and lots of cash.
Topping it off, all of these ships are guarding Assad's ancestral homeland and only route out of the country.