Russia's Aircraft Carrier Will Not Travel to Syria, Despite Media Reports

Russia's heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov is not going to be deployed to Syria, according to the Northern Fleet spokesperson.

Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, will head to the Barents Sea for a planned mission, the Russian Northern Fleet spokesman Vadim Serga said Wednesday.

The statement came amid media reports claiming Russia's flagship aircraft carrier was on its way to Syria to assist the ongoing Russian airborne campaign against the ISIL militants.

"The heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov has no long-term missions or other military assignments to look forward to any time soon," Serga said. "The ship will soon head out to the Barents Sea to perform planned combat training tasks and support a naval aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet."

The aircraft carrier is currently docked at its home port in Murmansk, in northwestern Russia.