The Naval Forces of Ukraine and the Black Sea Fleet of Russia have held a joint parade in Sevastopol to mark the 225th anniversary of the Black Sea Fleet that fell on May 11.

A ship parade and military sports festivities began at 9 a.m. and finished at around 11:25 a.m.

Ukraine's Kostiantyn Olshanskyi assault landing ship and Balta vessel made one line with Russian ships along the fairway in the Sevastopol Bay.

A Ukrainian military orchestra band played war marches together with the band of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

Ukrainian Naval Forces Commander Vice Admiral Ihor Teniukh and Russian Black Sea Fleet Commander Aleksandr Kletskov moved along the ship line to congratulate sailors from their admiral's barge.

Acting First Deputy Minister of Defense Valerii Ivaschenko, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Vice Admiral Ihor Kniaz, Chairman of the Sevastopol City Council Valerii Saratov, and Chairman of the City State Administration Serhii Kunitsyn were present on the main rostrum of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's Sports Club.

On the Russian side, the festivities were attended by Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin and Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov.

In the course of the marine festivities, battle ships, a submarine and auxiliary vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet went through the bay, firing blank shots from artillery weapons and machine-guns.

Ukrainian ships did not participate in the show.

More than 5,000 residents and guests of Sevastopol watched the ship parade and military sports festivities.

After the parade, Russian and Ukrainian officials laid wreaths to the Sevastopol Hero-Defenders Memorial in Nakhimov Square where more than 1,000 residents of Sevastopol, with Russian flags in hands, greeted the delegation with pro-Russian slogans and cheers "Russia!"