Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea on Saturday to mark the ninth anniversary of the annexation of the peninsula by Russia.
Putin's visit was accompanied by the head of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, and the head of the Patriarchal Council for Culture, Metropolitan of Pskov and Porkhov Tikhon.
This visit comes amidst ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea, with Ukraine continuing to assert its sovereignty over the peninsula.