International Waters Russias Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier passes through W. Med

The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, flagship of the Russian fleet, entered the Mediterranean over the weekend, with a long stream of ridicule from the western media in its wake. Russia’s only aircraft carrier, a leftover from the days of Soviet power, carries a long history of mishaps, at sea and in port, and diesel engines which were built for Russia’s cold waters – as shown by the column of black smoke raising above it. It needs frequent refueling and resupplies and has never been operationally tested. And yet, there is significance to the deployment of Admiral Kuzentsov to the eastern Mediterranean, even though its contribution to the Russian war effort in Syria is likely to be minimal