Spain has come under fire for reportedly agreeing to let Russian warships refuel on their way to Syria to bomb Aleppo and other targets.
A flotilla led by the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is expected to take on fuel and supplies at the Spanish port of Ceuta in North Africa, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The report comes after Royal Navy vessels shadowed Russian warships as they passed through the English Channel last week.
Sir Gerald Howarth, a former defence minister, told the Telegraph it would be "wholly inappropriate" for a NATO member to refuel the vessels.
Former Royal Navy chief Lord West said: "There are sanctions against Russia and it's an extraordinary thing for a NATO ally to do."
There was further condemnation from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who called on the Spanish government to reconsider its position.
He said: "It is for each nation to decide whether these ships can get supplies and re-fuelling in different harbours along the route towards the eastern Mediterranean.
"But, at the same time, we are concerned and I have expressed this very clearly, about the potential use of this battle group to increase Russia's ability and to be a platform for air strikes against Syria."
A UK Government spokesman said: "HMG has previously expressed concerns to the Spanish government about its hospitality to the Russian navy when we have concerns about Russia's military activity.
"We are clear that the UK's relationship with Russia should not be business as usual."
Spain's foreign ministry told the Telegraph requests from the Russian navy were considered on a "case by case basis".
A spokesman said: "Russian navy vessels have been making calls in Spanish ports for years."
The passage of Russian ships through the Channel last week came after Theresa May accused Moscow of being behind "sickening atrocities" in support of Syrian president Bashar al Assad's regime.
NATO said the prospect of Russia's only aircraft carrier heading to the region does not "inspire confidence" that it is seeking a political solution to the civil war in Syria, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said last month that its Northern Fleet would be joining a taskforce in the Mediterranean.
According to the Russian news agency Tass, he told a defence board meeting the plan was to bolster the Mediterranean fleet's "combat capabilities".
A statement from the fleet to the agency on 15 October said as well as the Admiral Kuznetzov, the group included a battlecruiser, a destroyer, an anti-submarine ship and support vessels.
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