Kuznetsov would begin a deployment to the Atlantic and Mediterranean in December 2011. In November 2011, it was announced that Admiral Kuznetsov would lead a squadron to Russia's naval facility in Tartus. A Russian naval spokesman announced via the Izvestia daily that "The call of the Russian ships in Tartus should not be seen as a gesture towards what is going on in Syria... This was planned already in 2010 when there were no such events there" noting that Admiral Kuznetsov would also be making port calls in Beirut, Genoa and Cyprus. On 29 November 2011, Army General Nikolay Makarov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, said that Russian ships in the Mediterranean were due to exercises rather than events in Syria, and noted that Admiral Kuznetsovs size does not allow it to moor in Tartus. On 6 December 2011, Admiral Kuznetsov and its escort ships departed the Northern Fleet home base in Severomorsk for a Mediterranean deployment to exercise with ships from the Russian Baltic and Black Sea Fleets. On 12 December 2011, Admiral Kuznetsov and its escorts, were spotted northeast of Orkney off the coast of northern Scotland, the first such time it had deployed near the UK. shadowed the group for a week; due to severe weather, the group took shelter in international waters in the Moray Firth, some from the UK coast. Admiral Kuznetsov then sailed around the top of Scotland and into the Atlantic past western Ireland, where it conducted flight operations with its Sukhoi Su-33 'Flanker' jets and Kamov Ka-27 helicopters in international airspace. On 8 January 2012, Admiral Kuznetsov anchored near shore outside Tartus while other ships from its escort entered the port to use the leased Russian naval support facility to replenish their supplies, after which all ships continued their deployment on 9 January. In February 2012, Admiral Kuznetsov returned to its home base of Severomorsk, having lost propulsion during the return voyage in the Bay of Biscay. The tugboat took the vessel in tow and aided Admiral Kuznetsovs return. 2013–2014 deployment On 1 June 2013, it was announced that the ship would return to the Mediterranean by the end of the year, and on 17 December, Admiral Kuznetsov departed its home base for the Mediterranean. On 1 January 2014, Admiral Kuznetsov celebrated New Year's Day while at anchor in international waters of the Moray Firth off northeast Scotland. The anchorage allowed