Sydney, Nov 12 (IANS): Russian warships are moving towards Australia ahead of this week’s G20 summit in Brisbane, according to media reports Wednesday.
This is being regarded as muscle-flexing by Russia and comes in the wake of tensions between the two countries over the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 last July, The Brisbane Times reported.
Australian defence authorities announced Wednesday that they were "monitoring Russian naval vessels that are currently transiting through international waters to the north of Australia".
However, “the movement of these vessels is entirely consistent with provisions under international law for military vessels to exercise freedom of navigation in international waters", the authorities added.
The development comes after Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing Tuesday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and charged Russia with being complicit in the downing of the aircraft.
He also demanded that Russia apologise and pay compensation to the families of the victims of the crash.
Russia has since rejected Abbott’s allegations and demands and even challenged him to present any evidence in Australia's possession that the flight was indeed shot down by Russian-supplied missiles.
Australian defence authorities noted in a statement though, that Russia had sent naval battle groups to international meetings previously.
"Russian naval vessels have previously been deployed in conjunction with major international summits such as the APEC meeting in Singapore in 2009. A warship from Russia's Pacific Fleet also accompanied former Russian president (Dmitry) Medvedev's visit to San Francisco in 2010," the statement said.
The fleet of warships, led by a Slava-class cruiser that is capable of carrying nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, left Vladivostok Oct 23, TASS news agency reported.
The fleet is made up of the "Varyag" cruiser, a destroyer named "Marshal Shaposhnikov", a salvage and rescue tug and a replenishment oiler, the Brisbane Times report said.
It is understood that the Russians have in recent years increasingly been making such gestures and it is widely regarded in defence circles as Moscow flexing its muscles and showing that it can project force around the globe.
The Russian embassy could not be reached for comment.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, carrying 298 people, was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur July 17 when it crashed in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, about 60 km from the Russian border.
All passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 777-200 died. Among the victims were 38 Australians.