Reacting to reports earlier in the day carried by several Russian news agencies, the Russian military has denied that their warships are being sent to the port of Tartus in Syria, saying that the ships have no plans to stop at the key Mediterranean port.

The initial report said that the warships, which are in the Mediterranean on maneuvers, would stop at the Russian maintenance facility in Tartus, a move that Western outlets saw as a major show of support for the Assad government during Syria’s ongoing civil war.

The later statement says that the ships have sufficient supplies and don’t need to stop at the port at all, but said that they did not rule out stopping off if something happened to extend their stay in the region.

Tartus is Russia’s only port in the Mediterranean and a key aspect of their determination to remain on good terms with the Syrian government.

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