A French helicopter-carrier assault ship of the type Russia wants to purchase arrived in Saint Petersburg on Monday for a visit amid Kremlin efforts to modernize its army.
"The ship has arrived," a spokesman for the French embassy said, adding the ship would remain in Russia until Thursday.
The visit of the Mistral helicopter transport ship, which docked at a quay on the Neva River in central Saint Petersburg near the celebrated Hermitage museum, comes ahead of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to France later this week.
Russian and French officials have confirmed Russia is in talks to buy a Mistral ship along with a license to produce at least four others.
A defense ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ship would be open for tours by the general public.
"Residents will take a look at the ship," he said.
The purchase deal with France would be unprecedented since World War II, both in terms of the size of the equipment in question and Russia's insistence since the war on producing all military hardware for its own use and export.
The ship, which could carry around a dozen heavy helicopters along with various types of beach-landing craft, can be used to land special forces onshore and other operations in local conflicts.
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