Russia mocks new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and says she's just '˜a large target'

HMS Queen Elizabeth leaves Rosyth dockyard for the first time this week

Moscow has lashed out at a dismissive comment about a Russian aircraft carrier made by Britain's defence secretary, arguing that its ageing ship is better than the new British carrier.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said earlier this week that Russia will look at the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth with envy, pointing at Russia’s ‘dilapidated’ Admiral Kuznetsov carrier.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov fired back today, arguing that unlike the British ship that relies on escort ships for protection, the Russian carrier can stand by itself with an array of offensive and defensive weapons.

He dismissed the British carrier as just a ‘conveniently large sea target’ that should stay close to US protection.

The Soviet-built Kuznetsov recently visited the eastern Mediterranean as part of Russia’s campaign in Syria.