It's my thought, that the Russian carrier is more of a shipment of parts and supplies.
However, it isn't something that couldn't be done with cargo aircraft.
The other part of it, was to press the international bounderies of all the countries that
the ships passed as they made their way to the Mediterranean. This probably revealed
a lot about the state of relations, , temperament, and ability of countries to respond to a perceived incursion.
Such as Spain denying in port refueling. There is plenty more, but it begins to delve more into the politics...