Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said that Russian forces participating in the war on terrorism began before noon on Tuesday a wide-scale operation in the countryside of Idleb and Homs provinces.

During a meeting for the higher command of the Russian armed forces in Sochi, which was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Shoygu said that the Russian forces, with the participation of aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov which is docked near the Syrian coast, began concentrated strikes on positions of ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria.

The Minister said that Su-33 fighters took off from the aircraft carried Admiral Kuznetsov and targeted positions of terrorists in the countryside of Idleb and Homs provinces, noting that this is the first time a Russian aircraft carrier participates in combat operations.