Russia drops Spain ship refueling request amid NATO uproar

BRUSSELS (AP) — Russia on Wednesday withdrew a request to refuel a fleet of Russian warships in Spain, as Britain and NATO allies piled pressure on Madrid over concerns that the ships could be used to ramp up air attacks in Syria.

The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and escorting vessels have steamed through the North Sea and English Channel in recent days heading to the Mediterranean Sea.

At talks between NATO defense ministers in Brussels, U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said Britain "would be extremely concerned if a NATO member should consider assisting a Russian carrier group that might end up bombing Syria."

Blaming Russia for exacerbating a humanitarian disaster there, Stoltenberg said that "men, women and children are dying every day, killed by disgraceful attacks on their homes and even their hospitals."

Syria's northern Aleppo province saw a new escalation Wednesday as a helicopter believed to belong to Syrian government forces dropped barrel bombs in a deadly attack on Turkey-backed opposition forces in the border area, said officials from Turkey, a NATO ally.