Four African heads of state will attend Russia's annual Navy Day Parade in St. Petersburg on Sunday.

Five more African countries will also send other representation, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

African leaders pressed Putin on Friday to move ahead with their plan to end the Ukraine conflict and to renew a deal crucial to Africa on the safe export of Ukrainian grain, which Moscow tore up last week.

The Navy Day parade in an annual naval event which honours the Russian navy.

It involves displays of naval hardware in key cities, with the biggest parade held in St Petersburg.