The Russian warships that controversially passed through the English Channel last month have arrived at the Syrian coast.

Sergei Artamonov, commander of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, said the ships were "in the eastern Mediterranean" and are "jointly carrying out tasks, manoeuvring to the west of the Syrian coast".

The flotilla of eight ships - thought to preparing for a new bombardment of rebels in Aleppo - caused controversy when it passed through European waters.

It was "shadowed every step of the way" as it passed through the Strait of Dover three weeks ago, according to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.

Russian warships sail down English Channel

As criticism mounted on its journey to the Middle East, the Spanish government also said the Russians had withdrawn a request to refuel at its port in Cueta.


Pilots on the aircraft carrier have been practising take-offs and landings, lending weight to fears that Russia is preparing a decisive bombing campaign of eastern Aleppo in support of Syria's President Bashar al Assad.

Image: Syrian pro-government forces have regained Minyan village, west of Aleppo

The ships' arrival comes as regime forces retook government-held areas in western Aleppo that were lost to rebels in recent weeks.

They had been trying to break the devastating siege on the city, which has seen civilians in the east killed on a daily basis.

Attacks stopped last month to allow civilians and fighters to leave, but most of the rebels stayed put to carry on the fight.

Image: Dahiyet al-Assad, a western district, has also been won back

Russia says it has not bombed the area for nearly a month.

After early rebel gains when the counterattack began on 28 October, two areas are now said to have been retaken, Dahiyet al-Assad and Minyan - a village outside the city.

"The epic battle for Aleppo has failed," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the UK-based monitoring group which has a network of contacts in the country.

War in Syria: Destruction of Aleppo

It added that the fighting had killed 508 people, including civilians and fighters from both sides; while rebel shelling of government areas during the two-week offensive had killed 92 people, including 29 children.

The special adviser to the UN's Syria envoy, Jan Egeland, said this week that food in eastern Aleppo was running perilously low.

He said the last time the 250,000 people living there received aid was the start of July.

Russia has said it would consider another pause in the fighting if UN officials confirm plans to deliver aid and evacuate the sick and wounded.