The Russian sailors of the Black Sea Fleet were their brothers, their friends, their comrades.
Now they have become a threat for the Ukrainian navy men blockaded in the historic port of Sevastopol, cut off from the rest of the world.
Scores of sailors are spending listless days marooned in the port on board two warships -- the Slavutich and the Ternopil.
The blue-and-yellow flags they fly are the only Ukrainian ones on this immense naval base, which Russia's Black Sea Fleet leases from Ukraine and where some 20 warships can be seen with Russian flags.
A sign reading "Do Not Enter" separates the Ukrainian dock from the rest.
The moorings of the Ukrainian ships have been loosened to distance them from the dock.
"It's a precaution against an assault," sub-officer Ruslan Obich shouts to AFP from the Slavutich.
"It's calm now but if they come aboard we'll defend ourselves," he says, making a gun with his hand.
"If necessary we'll scuttle our ship. They won't take us!" he says, as just three Ukrainian soldiers with bullet-proof vests and helmets slung over their shoulders are spotted standing guard.
The rest of the small Ukrainian base lies open without a guard in sight.
Viktoriya, 14, attaches a bag to a piece of rope that her father Ruslan then drags on board.
"I bring him some things because they have to stay there. He can't come home," she says.
"Some clean shirts, some soaps. I'm afraid the Russians are going to attack."
As she leaves, her father -- who has not set foot on land for two weeks -- blows her a kiss.
Pavlo, an officer on the Slavutich, says he is "sure" the Russians will not attack.
But "if that happens we are ready to defend ourselves without firearms, defend our ships, our honour and our people," he says.
- 'Our brothers' -
This is a painful confrontation between former brothers in arms of the Soviet fleet.
"We no longer have any contact with them except on the phone," Pavlo says.
"But they are our brothers. The Russian officers and sailors are worried about us, they ask how we are."
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the fate of the fleet and port of Sevastopol was the subject of a long dispute between Kiev and Moscow.
The fleet, which was founded in 1783 by Catherine the Great, was eventually split up, with 17 percent of the ships -- 80 vessels -- going to Ukraine, while Russia got the remaining 338 warships.
An agreement on the deep-water port itself -- strategically, one of the best in the world -- took even more intense negotiations.
It is currently leased by Kiev to Moscow for $100 million (72 million euros) a year and a reduction of 30 percent in the price of Russian gas, with an agreement until 2042.
Kiev kept just 400 metres of the dock and two ships.
Access to the Ukrainian part of the port has been blocked for the past 10 days by Russian warships and floating cisterns linked with chains, with combat helicopters flying overhead.
There is no question of the two Ukrainian ships joining the rest of their fleet in Odessa.
"We are prisoners of this political situation," says Pavlo.
"We are military, we are awaiting orders. Until the politicians have resolved the situation between them, we'll be hostages here."
The headquarters of the Ukrainian fleet -- on a hill overlooking the city -- is surrounded by pro-Moscow activists who have set up a barricade.
"Officers and sailors of the Ukrainian fleet, join our ranks in the Black Sea Fleet! Together we will win against fascism!" a sign reads -- a reference to Ukraine's new pro-European leadership, denounced by Russia as rife with radical nationalists and neo-Nazis.
The wives of the soldiers stuck inside come every day with supplies in plastic bags that are searched at the entrance by the activists.
At the port's entry, giant red letters on the white wall of a fort read: "Glory to the Russian Fleet".
On a smaller blue-and-yellow building nearby a similar sign reads: "Glory to the Ukrainian Fleet".
The Russian sailors of the Black Sea Fleet were their brothers, their friends, their comrades.
Now they have become a threat for the Ukrainian navy men blockaded in the historic port of Sevastopol, cut off from the rest of the world.
Scores of sailors are spending listless days marooned in the port on board two warships — the Slavutich and the Ternopil.
The blue-and-yellow flags they fly are the only Ukrainian ones on this immense naval base, which Russia’s Black Sea Fleet leases from Ukraine and where some 20 warships can be seen with Russian flags.
A sign reading “Do Not Enter” separates the Ukrainian dock from the rest.
The moorings of the Ukrainian ships have been loosened to distance them from the dock.
“It’s a precaution against an assault,” sub-officer Ruslan Obich shouts to AFP from the Slavutich.
“It’s calm now but if they come aboard we’ll defend ourselves,” he says, making a gun with his hand.
“If necessary we’ll scuttle our ship. They won’t take us!” he says, as just three Ukrainian soldiers with bullet-proof vests and helmets slung over their shoulders are spotted standing guard.
The rest of the small Ukrainian base lies open without a guard in sight.
Viktoriya, 14, attaches a bag to a piece of rope that her father Ruslan then drags on board.
“I bring him some things because they have to stay there. He can’t come home,” she says.
“Some clean shirts, some soaps. I’m afraid the Russians are going to attack.”
As she leaves, her father — who has not set foot on land for two weeks — blows her a kiss.
Pavlo, an officer on the Slavutich, says he is “sure” the Russians will not attack.
But “if that happens we are ready to defend ourselves without firearms, defend our ships, our honour and our people,” he says.
– ‘Our brothers’ –
This is a painful confrontation between former brothers in arms of the Soviet fleet.
“We no longer have any contact with them except on the phone,” Pavlo says.
“But they are our brothers. The Russian officers and sailors are worried about us, they ask how we are.”
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the fate of the fleet and port of Sevastopol was the subject of a long dispute between Kiev and Moscow.
The fleet, which was founded in 1783 by Catherine the Great, was eventually split up, with 17 percent of the ships — 80 vessels — going to Ukraine, while Russia got the remaining 338 warships.
An agreement on the deep-water port itself — strategically, one of the best in the world — took even more intense negotiations.
It is currently leased by Kiev to Moscow for $100 million (72 million euros) a year and a reduction of 30 percent in the price of Russian gas, with an agreement until 2042.
Kiev kept just 400 metres of the dock and two ships.
Access to the Ukrainian part of the port has been blocked for the past 10 days by Russian warships and floating cisterns linked with chains, with combat helicopters flying overhead.
There is no question of the two Ukrainian ships joining the rest of their fleet in Odessa.
“We are prisoners of this political situation,” says Pavlo.
“We are military, we are awaiting orders. Until the politicians have resolved the situation between them, we’ll be hostages here.”
The headquarters of the Ukrainian fleet — on a hill overlooking the city — is surrounded by pro-Moscow activists who have set up a barricade.
“Officers and sailors of the Ukrainian fleet, join our ranks in the Black Sea Fleet! Together we will win against fascism!” a sign reads — a reference to Ukraine’s new pro-European leadership, denounced by Russia as rife with radical nationalists and neo-Nazis.
The wives of the soldiers stuck inside come every day with supplies in plastic bags that are searched at the entrance by the activists.
At the port’s entry, giant red letters on the white wall of a fort read: “Glory to the Russian Fleet”.
On a smaller blue-and-yellow building nearby a similar sign reads: “Glory to the Ukrainian Fleet”.
