The first Russian navy ship returned to base in the Black Sea on Friday from operations against Georgia. A Reuters correspondent said about 100 Ukrainian protesters, brought by bus by a local party from a nearby town, marched through the Crimean port of Sevastopol as the Mirage, a small missile ship, returned. Ukraine, which backed Georgia in a conflict with Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia, criticised Moscow for using ships from its Black Sea Fleet, which is based on Ukraine's Crimea peninsula under a leasing agreement. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko last week announced tougher rules on Russian naval movements from the base, angering Moscow and raising fears Ukraine could be the next target of Russia's campaign to reassert its influence in the region.
