Admiral Kuznetsov carrier group gets the 'Royal' treatment as it passes through the English Channel

As the Russian aircraft carrier group, led by the Admiral Kuznetzov, passed through the English Channel on its way back to Russia from Syria, it was met by a flotilla of British warships, and the familiar booms of British Typhoon fighters overhead.

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The passage of the carrier group through the English Channel last year as it headed to Syria, saw a similar response from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, who shadowed it as it passed through the Channel on its way to the Mediterranean.

The Admiral Kuznetzov, Russia's only aircraft carrier, was key to the operations against anti-Assad rebels and ISIS. Its 40 aircraft carried out numerous air strikes on targets, much to the consternation of the West.

While the Admiral Kuznetsov is nowhere near as high-tech as the US Nimitz-class carriers or the planned Gerald Ford-class, it surprised many with the punch it packed.

Russia's involvement in Syria has been controversial to say the least. Russian aircraft and ships were instrumental in the defeat of rebels looking to oust Syrian President Basher al-Assad (a longtime ally of Russia). The West, which supported a number of rebel groups, believed Russia should have been concentrating on getting rid of ISIS from the country rather than bolstering what they saw as a beleagured president clinging to power.

The UK defense secretary recently called the Admiral Kuznetsov the "ship of shame", stating that it had only served to prolong the suffering of the Syrian people.

The return of the Admiral Kuznetsov to its base in northern Russia signals the end of an important phase in the Syrian Civil War. With rebel groups beaten, the Syrian regime, along with Russia and Turkey, has now trained its sights on ISIS.

The terror group is fighting a brutal battle against Iraqi forces in Mosul and has suffered numerous setbacks in that country as well as in Syria. And while it may have lost most of its strongholds, it still poses a considerable terror threat.