Against a not yet identified Russian "crusier". And remember, HMS Defender has not anti-ship misiles, neither UK maritime patrol aircrafts or aircraft launched anti-ship missiles (only can use perhaps Alarm, Brimstone and LGBs): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

Has the Russian warship since been identified?

Apparently was the complete (very small and with tug! ) CVBG!!! (I think only clearly named on this almost marginal media):

http://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/2014/jan/mod-clarification-sought-russian-naval-visit

CV Admiral Kutznesov

 

DD Admiral Levchenko (Udaloy-class) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_destroyer_Admiral_Levchenko

 

LST SDK-91/Olenegorsky Gornyak (Ropucha I-class). I see the Russians are employing his landing ships as general purpose vessels, probably are reliable and cheap to opérate.

 

Other support ships:

 

Seagoing rescue tug Nikolai Chiker (Project 5757-class): http://www.russian-ships.info/eng/rescue/project_5757.htm

 

AO Sergei Osipov (Boris Chilikin-class): http://www.russian-ships.info/eng/support/project_1559.htm

 

AO Kama (Kaliningradets-class) : http://russian-ships.info/eng/support/project_ref675.htm don't confuse she with this old one (Luza-class), decommisioned 1995: http://russian-ships.info/eng/support/project_1541.htm

Apparently was the complete (very small and with tug! ) CVBG!!! (I think only clearly named on this almost marginal media)

Oh, that's quite a bit more interesting. Kuznetsov was supposed to rejoin the fleet at the end of the year (2013), and then go to the Mediterranean.

 

But this latest deployment hasn't received much attention, afaik, which again is a little odd.

 

They skirted close to Scotland back in 2011 as well, causing some consternation, so I expect the RN is a little embarrassed at having it happen again.

 

Other consideration: Pyotr Velikiy is also in the Med.