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Anger as Spain allows Russian warships to refuel en route to Aleppo bombing campaign Spain to review permission for Russian warships to refuel en route to bomb Aleppo amid anger from Nato and allies
(about 5 hours later)
Spain is coming under criticism for reportedly preparing to allow the refuelling of Russian warships en route to bolstering the bombing campaign against the besieged Syrian city Aleppo. Spain is reviewing its decision to allow Russian warships to refuel at one of its ports on their way to bomb the Syrian city of Aleppo amid international outrage.
Warships led by the smoke-belching aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov are expected to take on fuel and supplies at the Spanish port of Ceuta after passing through the Straits of Gibraltar on Wednesday morning, according to the Daily Telegraph. A naval fleet headed by the Admiral Kuznetzov aircraft carrier, which passed through the English Channel last week, was expected to dock this morning in the North African enclave of Ceuta to take on supplies.
The report comes after Royal Navy vessels monitored Russian warships as they began to move through the English Channel last week. Nato, the British government and EU politicians voiced their shock at the move just days after Spain signed a European Council statement saying it was “appalled” at the escalating violence in Aleppo and calling on the Syrian government and its Russian allies to stop its “excessive and disproportionate” attacks on civilian areas.
The Russian vessels were shadowed by the Navy as they passed through the Dover Strait - one of the busiest seaways in the world. The Russian ships are on their way to the eastern Mediterranean to boost Vladimir Putin’s campaign in support of Bashar al-Assad, loaded with fighter jets, reconnaissance and combat helicopters and cruise missiles.
Sir Gerald Howarth, a former defence minister, told the Telegraph it would be “wholly inappropriate” for a Nato member to refuel the vessels. Asked about Spain’s role in supplying the fleet, Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato Secretary-General, said he was “concerned”.
Former Royal Navy chief Lord West told the newspaper: “There are sanctions against Russia and it's an extraordinary thing for a Nato ally to do.” “I have expressed that very clearly about potential use of this battle group to increase Russia’s ability and to be a platform for airstrikes against Syria,” he added.
Spain's foreign ministry told the Telegraph requests from the Russian navy were considered on a “case by case basis”. “I repeat those concerns today and I believe that all Nato allies are aware that this battle group can be used to conduct airstrikes against Aleppo and Syria.”
A spokesman told the newspaper: “Russian navy vessels have been making calls in Spanish ports for years.” Guy Verhofstadt, president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament, called Spain’s decision “scandalous”.
The Telegraph added that the Spanish government said it was reviewing the Russian request. He wrote on Twitter: “Spain signed EU statement on Russian war crimes in Aleppo last week – today [Tuesday] helps refuel fleet on way to commit more atrocities. Seriously?”
A UK Government spokesman said: “Access to Spanish ports is a matter for the Spanish authorities. HMG has previously expressed concerns to the Spanish government about its hospitality to the Russian navy when we have concerns about Russia's military activity. The UK said that although access to Spanish ports was a matter for local authorities, concerns had been raised.
“We are clear that the UK's relationship with Russia should not be business as usual.” “Her Majesty's government has previously expressed concerns to the Spanish government about its hospitality to the Russian navy when we have concerns about Russia's military activity,” a British Government spokesperson said.
Last week's Russian passage through the Channel came after Theresa May condemned Vladimir Putin's aggression in Syria, accusing Moscow of being behind “sickening atrocities” in support of Bashar Assad's regime. Spain, a Nato member, regularly allows Russian war ships to stop in its enclave of Ceuta, which borders Morocco at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea.
Nato said the prospect of Russia's only aircraft carrier heading to the region does not “inspire confidence” that Moscow is seeking a political solution to the Syrian crisis. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry told El Pais permission was granted on a case-by-case basis depending on the ship in question and possibly security risks.
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said in September that the Admiral Kuznetsov-led Northern Fleet would be joining a taskforce in the Mediterranean. “We are looking at the latest [supply] stops requested based on information requested by Russian authorities,” he added.
According to the Russian news agency Tass, he told a defence board meeting that the plan was to bolster the Mediterranean fleet's “combat capabilities”. Intense international media coverage has followed the fleet’s progress from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean, with Royal Navy ships tracking it through the Channel.
A statement from the fleet to the agency on October 15 said the group also consisted of the Pyotr Velikiy battlecruiser, the Severomorsk anti-submarine ship, the Vice-Admiral Kulakov destroyer and other support vessels. Keir Giles, an expert on Russian security issues, told The Independent that bolstering the country’s firepower in the Syrian conflict may not be the deployment’s only objective.
PA “The biggest thing that worries me is that while there is all of this intense media focus not just in the UK but in  Europe on this one action in one place, what are they [Russia] doing somewhere else?” he asked.
“They have achieved complete media and public opinion focus on one bright, shiny object that is being held up to potentially distract from more important things happening elsewhere.”
The deployment includes the Admiral Kuznetsov, Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great) battlecruiser, the Vice Admiral Kulakov destroyer, Severomorsk destroyers and several supply vessels.