Well, how did you swim?

The aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" and the ships of the Northern Fleet accompanying him on Friday leave the Mediterranean Sea. According to Interfax, the head of the General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, announced this.

Ships return to the base in Severomorsk, Murmansk region.

The withdrawal from the Mediterranean Sea of ​​the ships of the Northern Fleet, Gerasimov explained - the first stage of reducing the Russian group of troops in Syria.

Interfax reported on Tuesday with reference to an unofficial source that the aircraft carrier group led by Admiral Kuznetsov is completing a trip to the Middle East in January. The specific terms for the withdrawal of ships, however, were not named then.

At the end of last month, the regime of the Syrian dictator Bashar al -Assad and moderate rebels came to an agreement on the beginning of peace negotiations, and a truce was announced on the night of December 30 in the country. In this regard, Vladimir Putin, at the suggestion of the head of the Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, ordered to reduce the number of Russian contingent in Syria.

The campaign in the Mediterranean Admiral Kuznetsov began on October 15, 2016. Initially, the aircraft carrier was accompanied by a heavy atomic missile cruiser Peter the Great, large anti-submarine ships Severomorsk and Vice Admiral Kulakov, as well as four support vessels. On October 30, it was reported that three submarines joined the group, including two atomic ones, with the latest cruise missiles of the Caliber class on board.

On November 15, the Aviation Office "Admiral Kuznetsov" struck the first blows to Syria .

During the Middle Eastern campaign, the aircraft carrier lost two aircraft. On November 14, the MiG-29 fighter crashed when landing . The pilot jumped with a parachute. On December 5, the Su-33 fighter rolled out of the deck and collapsed into the water. The pilot catapulted.