MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. The Russian Armed Forces will organize joint military operations with the French Navy to combat terrorists in Syria, chief of the main operations directorate of Russian army’s General Staff Andrey Kartapolov said on Wednesday.

"Under the Russian president’s decree, the General Staff is working out joint anti-terrorism operations with the French Navy," Kartapolov said. "With the arrival of the Charles de Gaulle warship to the Syrian shore we will organize joint military operations."

Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 17 instructed the commander of the guided missile cruiser The Moskva, which is already in the Mediterranean, to establish cooperation with French counterparts to draft plan for joint action on the sea and in the air. A source in defense and diplomatic circles told TASS on Wednesday that Russian combat ships in Syrian waters will provide no air defense or antisubmarine support for the French aircraft carrier-led group as it can accomplish these missions independently.

President Francois Hollande, of France, said earlier that The Charles de Gaulle would leave the port of registration on November 19 to join the operation in Syria.

Defense News weekly earlier said France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier The Charles de Gaulle might team up with The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the eastern Mediterranean for dealing air strikes against IS positions in Syria.