UK Defense Minister calls Russian aircraft carrier a "ship of shame"

via CNN

Russia's Defense Ministry on Thursday slammed comments by UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon calling Russia's flagship aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov "a ship of shame." Fallon's remarks were made Wednesday as UK warships and warplanes tracked Russia's only aircraft carrier through the English Channel.  The carrier and its escort, the guided missile cruiser Petr Velikiy, are on their way back to Russia after participating in airstrikes in Syria. 

They left the Mediterranean Sea earlier this month.

"We are keeping a close eye on the Admiral Kuznetsov as it skulks back to Russia, a ship of shame whose mission has only extended the suffering of the Syrian people," Fallon said.  The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement it had "paid attention" to Fallon's remarks on the carrier group.
"The Russian combat ships do not need escort services," the statement said. "They know the fairway and the course."  The ministry also suggested Fallon should be "paying more attention to the British fleet."

Wow.  First its obvious that the UK Defense Minister is parroting Neo-Con talking points (will someone give me a legit reason why we should be odds with Russia instead of working together on points of joint interest like killing ISIS, Space Travel and even negotiating a solution to the Ukraine problem?) with regard to the situation in Syria.

With the Brit Prime Minister due to meet with Trump this week, it'll be interesting if the UK doesn't start to sing a different tune to better align themselves with the thinking of the new administration.

Second is the burn that the Russian Defense Minister shot across the bow of the Royal Navy.  "Fallon should be paying more attention to the British fleet"????

That was savage!

This is a meaningless little dustup but its sure fun to watch.