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Russia aircraft carrier group meant to keep off Israel, NATO from Syria: Analyst

Friday, 06 January 2017 3:36 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 06 January 2017 3:36 PM ]

This file photo shows a Russian Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier.

Russia has begun to draw down its military forces in Syria aimed at reinforcing an all-Syria ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Ankara, which took effect on December 30. Moscow says the Admiral Kuznetsov carrier and accompanying ships are to leave in the first step of the drawdown. Russia, however, will maintain its presence at an air base in Syria’s Latakia province and the naval facility in the port city of Tartus.

A political analyst believes Russia’s aircraft carrier was deployed as a “deterrent” to keep any further escalation of the efforts to try to stop the operations against the terrorist groups in Syria.

“Well, I think that the reason why this aircraft carrier needed to be deployed was not so much to actually support the operations being carried out in Aleppo and now going to be in Palmyra and in support of the work in Damascus. I think it was mainly there as a deterrent, and as a back-up and a reminder for Israel, NATO and those forces that were also in the Mediterranean to not get involved in the liberation of Aleppo,” Steven Kelley told Press TV in an interview on Friday.

The analyst also stated that Russia's withdrawal of its aircraft carrier from the waters off Syria is certainly a great move and a “good PR”, adding that it shows that Moscow is capable of complying with agreements and working to deescalate the situation.

Kelly further argued that moving these military assets back into the Atlantic is also a “prudent move” in preparation for what might happen before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office, given the "noise" that is coming out of Washington with regards to the hacking accusations against Russia and the build-up of troops along the Baltics.

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