Russia has said that warships heading toward Brisbane, Australia, are part of a routine training exercise, but experts have said they are intended as a show of the country’s military power amid G20 talks. At the same time, Western leaders have threatened to issue more sanctions if Russia doesn’t stop backing rebels in Ukraine
Sources in Australian defense agency said that four Russian warships, including the Pacific Varyag missile cruiser, according to SMH.co.au. They are heading to international waters off of Brisbane, located on Australian eastern coast.
“We’re seeing, regrettably, a great deal of Russian assertiveness right now in Ukraine,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said, while downplaying the warships heading to Brisbane. “So it’s not really surprising.”
Australia has sent a few ships and a surveillance plane to monitor the Russian ships.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten described the move as a “stunt” and added: “As far as I am concerned, this is a distraction from families getting closure by finding out why was that plane shot down, who knows what, who was involved in that terrible atrocity.” He is referring to the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in July.
