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Moscow urges Washington not to stand up for ‘outrageous wards’ at Sea of Azov

Earlier, Heather Nauert said that inspections of Ukrainian ships by Russian warships in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait interfered with international navigation

Russia's embassy in the US Anatoly Bochinin/TASS

Russia's embassy in the US

© Anatoly Bochinin/TASS

WASHINGTON, August 31. /TASS/. The Russian embassy in the United States urged the US authorities not to "stand up for outrageous wards at the Sea of Azov and begin a substantial dialogue on the Russian citizens locked in American prisons," the ministry said on Facebook.

"US Department of State has raised concerns through its Spokesperson Heather Nauert over legitimate inspections of vessels at the Sea of Azov. No arrests, no detentions, simply inspections. It is noteworthy (in order to understand the policy of double standards) that not a single vessel out of the "hundreds" has been specified. State Department avoided it on purpose, as facts of Ukrainian piracy are being muted. For instance, the seizure of the Russian fishing boat "Nord" by Ukrainian border patrol at the Sea of Azov on March 25 as an a example. Its crew consists of Crimean fishermen, who do not determine themselves as Ukrainian citizens," the Ministry’s statement said.

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Earlier, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Heather Nauert said that inspections of Ukrainian ships by Russian warships in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait interfered with international navigation.

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