Ortega, who returned to power in 2007, has courted Russia and has aligned Nicaragua with regional leftists, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
The United States, which funded rebel groups opposed to the Sandinistas in the 1980s, suspended a $175 million aid program to Nicaragua earlier this month, citing concerns over November's municipal elections, which Ortega's opponents say were rigged.
The Russian naval tour, which includes another old Cold War ally, Cuba, as well as Venezuela, is part of Moscow's bid to rebuild its global influence.
Opposition politicians protested the visit, arguing foreign military forces were forbidden from entering Nicaragua without the approval of the National Assembly.
Ortega requested authorization for the visit earlier in the week, but opposition lawmakers refused to allow the National Assembly to sit.
The Russian ships arrived in Nicaragua late on Friday and were scheduled to depart early on Sunday.
(Editing by Peter Cooney)
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