RTThu, 23 Feb 2017 14:16 UTC
© Michael Klimentyev / Sputnik
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the idea to send a Russian aircraft carrier group to Syria was his own, adding that
Russia does not intend to interfere in Syria's internal affairs, but wants to deal with the terrorists.Russia's aircraft carrier group from the Northern Fleet inflicted significant damage to extremist groups in Syria, Putin said at a meeting with the officers who distinguished themselves during the operation in the Mediterranean near Syria's shores.
"You have fulfilled all the tasks that were given to you and inflicted significant damage to the international terrorist groups by hitting their bases, ammunition storages, equipment, and infrastructure," he said.
The Russian military has greatly contributed to international anti-terrorist efforts and "helped to create conditions for the peace talks between the Syrian government and the armed opposition," Putin said.
The Russian president added that Russia's goal in Syria is to stabilize the legitimate government and to "put an end to the terrorist blight."
"Our goal is to stabilize the legitimate government and strike a decisive blow to the international terrorism," Putin said, adding that "the sooner the country [Syria] will proceed with political settlement the more chances the international community will have in putting an end to the terrorist blight on the Syrian territory."
He went on to say that more than 4,000 militants from Russia and 5,000 from the former USSR are fighting with extremists in Syria, citing Russian intelligence data.The president said that this poses a serious threat to Russia's security and thanked the officers for doing their duty to protect the country.
The officers who took part in the operation told Putin that the aircraft carrier group was closely followed by NATO vessels, both on its way to Syria and on its way back to their Russian port, noting that
"at least eight NATO warships" were around constantly whose actions were "far from friendly."
Comment: The aircraft carrier deployment was also a great opportunity as a
training mission to work out bugs:
Most of the media has singled out for attention President Putin's claim the decision to send the Admiral Kuznetsov to join the fight in Syria originated with him.
Whilst that is no doubt true, Putin does not say that he took this decision entirely unprompted; nor does he say that he did not consult widely before making the decision, or that the naval staff opposed it.
What is actually more interesting is what President Putin had to say about the reasons why the Admiral Kuznetsov was sent to the coast of Syria
When I was formulating this task to the Minister and the Chief of the General Staff, I proceeded from several considerations. First, the aircraft carrier has been in the Armed Forces since 1991, and has always pursued, it seems, tasks related to training and demonstration. For this reason, the industry was instructed with the task to properly prepare it and to create a corresponding aviation wing. That is how the final version of the MiG-29 appeared.
You spoke about the difficulties you encountered as you carried out the combat mission. I thought that those difficulties would arise, and that you would have to overcome them. And you have done all that.
The task was difficult and complex. I am glad that you coped with all of its elements, and this is undoubtedly a good step towards the development of the Russian Navy in all its parts.
As it happens - and as Putin hints in his comments to the carrier's officers - the Admiral Kuznetsov did experience multiple teething problems during its deployment. Two aircraft - a MiG-29 and an SU-33 - were both lost because of problems with arrestor cables, and it seems that during the deployment some of the carrier's aircraft had to be redeployed to Khmeimim air base and actually carried out many of their sorties against the Jihadis fighters from there.
The point is that by deploying the carrier for the first time operationally the Russians have now identified these problems, and can put them right.
Comment: The aircraft carrier deployment was also a great opportunity as a training mission to work out bugs: