first visit to the disputed territory since Russia annexed it from Ukraine.
The President arrived in
the port of Sevastopol by sea, in an event televised by Russian state
TV, and watched while flanked by senior officers as Russian warships
took part in a naval display in the Black Sea.
The military parades,
held each year to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany, come amid soaring
tensions in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists are planning a
weekend referendum on autonomy.
At least three people
have been killed and 25 injured in clashes between separatists and
Ukrainian government forces in the flashpoint southeastern city of
Mariupol, the Donetsk regional health department said Friday.
Interior Minister Arsen
Avakov put the toll higher in a post on his official Facebook page,
saying about 20 militants had been killed and four captured, while one
member of the armed forces was dead and five injured.
In Washington, the White House took notice of Putin's visit and reiterated its rejection of Crimea's annexation.
"Such a visit will only serve to fuel tensions," National Security Council spokeswoman Laura Lucas Magnuson said.
In Sevastopol, which
hosts a key Russian naval base, crowds packed the shores to witness the
show of Russia's military might. Besides the warships that took part in
the sea, dozens of military aircraft roared overhead.
Putin paid tribute to
Sevastopol's long military record as he addressed servicemen in the
harbor, and he said he was sure that 2014 would become known in history
as the year Crimea's people decided to return to Russia and the memory
of their ancestors.
"There is a lot of work
to be done, but we will overcome all the difficulties because we are
together. This means we have become even stronger, and I congratulate
you on the great victory," he said.
Putin shook hands with servicemen after his remarks, before walking to barriers where he was greeted by screaming crowds.
An earlier military
parade by land vehicles through the city also attracted big numbers,
with the turnout probably boosted by rumors that Putin might attend.
The Russian President's
first Victory Day appearance was in Moscow, where the annual display of
nationalistic fervor was heightened by Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Tanks, rocket launchers
and even intercontinental ballistic missiles were paraded through the
capital's Red Square in a Soviet-style show of military might, as tens
of thousands of people watched and cheered, waving Russian flags.
In televised remarks there, Putin hailed his nation's "all-conquering patriotism."
Source: CNN
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