MOSCOW, Jan. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- The Russian navy failed on Saturday to take back the lighthouse in the Crimean city of Yalta, seized by Ukraine a day earlier, in talks with Ukrainian authorities which insisted the facility is not leased to Russia.

    The Russian Black Sea Fleet and Ukrainian authorities held talks in Yalta after the Russian navy command ordered the fleet to regain access to the lighthouse by "methods of civilized discussion."

    The talks between Black Sea Fleet Commander Adm. Alexander Tatarinov and the director of the Yalta port were fruitless, Russian navy spokesman Captain Igor Dygalo was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

    "In the course of the negotiations, the director of the Yalta port did not admit this facility is leased to the Black Sea Fleet while actually it is documented as leased and Russia is paying rent for it," Dygalo said.

    Russia and Ukraine signed an accord in 1997 on dividing up the Soviet Black Sea Fleet after anguished talks. Under the deal, Russia leases the Sevastopol port in Ukraine's Crimea peninsula to base its ships until 2017.

    Russia said its servicemen were denied access to the lighthouse on Friday by Yalta port guards and a Ukrainian state company's staff seized the lighthouse.

    Russian navy officials have denounced Ukraine for violating thelease agreement that allowed the Black Sea Fleet to use Ukraine's facilities.

    Ukraine rejected the Russian complaint, claiming the lighthouse is "Ukrainian property" in a statement. It said the lease allowing the presence of the Russia's fleet does not give it the right to use hydrographic sites and navigation equipment.

    During a recent fierce dispute over the price of Russian natural gas supplied to Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said they could consider raising the annual rent Russia pays for leasing the Sevastopol port. Russia rejected the offer as unacceptable. Enditem