Russian and Ukrainian warships have arrived in the Ukrainian Black Sea town of Odessa for Sunday's Victory Day celebrations, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's press service said on Wednesday.
The Ternopil, a Grisha V class anti-submarine corvette (U209) of the Ukrainian Navy, and the Caesar Kunikov, a Ropucha-I class large landing ship of the Russian Black Sea fleet, arrived to Odessa on Tuesday.
Relations between the Black Sea fleet and the Ukrainian Navy, both based in the Crimean city of Sevastopol, have been strained lately by numerous disputes over the lease of naval facilities on the Crimean peninsula.
In 2008, the Black Sea Fleet had to step up security at its facilities in Ukraine following several disputes over the lease of lighthouses and other navigation and maritime support facilities.
Disputes have been settled by a deal to extend a lease on a Russian naval base in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017. The agreement was ratified by the parliaments of the two countries simultaneously on April 28.
KIEV, May 5 (RIA Novosti)
