Russia Leaks Oil Off UK Coast

I would ask where the Royal Navy was during this little incident just off the UK coast, but that would be salt in wounds at this point. From the AP:

Irish authorities said Tuesday they are monitoring a major oil spill that is drifting toward the Irish coast — the largest spill in the waters around Ireland in a decade.

The Irish Marine Department said the oil slick was discovered close to where a Russian aircraft carrier was refueling in the Celtic Sea between western Britain and the southern coast of Ireland.

The department said Tuesday it was too early to predict how much of the spill, thought to be around 500 tons (3,750 barrels), will come ashore. The oil slick is about three miles long and three miles wide.

Environmental groups aren't happy, rightfully so. I appreciate the absurdity of the Russian response.

Russia's chief of general staff Gen. Nikolai Marakov confirmed that a Russian aircraft carrier had refueled in the area but denied there had been any problems.

"We have no reason to think that anything went wrong during refueling," he told reporters.

The pictures seem to suggest something went very wrong. The deployment of the Admiral Kuznetsov has been mostly quiet by Russian domestic propaganda standards, suggesting they are taking their deployments more seriously than a simple domestic news production. Ever since the fire during an exercise earlier this year it has been very quiet in the English press regarding the activities of the Russian aircraft carrier.

It is noteworthy the Admiral Kuznetsov does not appear to have an escort home from its Med deployment, with the ships previous escort RFS Admiral Vinogradov (DDG 572) being sent to fight pirates. There was news of an emergency deployment of RFS Admiral Chabanenko (DDG 650) to the Med theater, but I have not seen any news regarding where the ship was sent to. Based on the pictures above produced by the European Maritime Safety Agency, RFS Admiral Chabanenko (DDG 650) does not appear to be with the carrier.

What are the odds the Russians will help with the costs of cleaning up their oil spill should it wash up on the Irish coast? I'd wager somewhere between slim and none, trending none.