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North Korean fishermen injured during detention to be taken to Russian ports in Far East

On Saturday, Russian border guards detained a North Korean fishing vessel in the Russian exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan

VLADIVOSTOK, October 16. /TASS/. North Korean sailors that were injured during detention will be taken to ports in the Russian Far Eastern Primorye, the press service of Federal Security Service’s (FSB) border control department in the region told TASS on Sunday.

"Arrival is expected during the day. There is no official information on their condition yet," a press officer said but did not specify to which ports the injured and other crewmembers of the vessel will be taken.

On Saturday, Russian border guards detained a North Korean fishing vessel in the Russian exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan. FSB said in a statement published on its official website that "the crew of the vessel behaved aggressively toward members of the boarding party" on the vessel with 48 North Korean citizens onboard. The detained vessel started moving out of the Russian economic zone, and crewmembers tried to attack Russian FSB officers. One of the officers was wounded in the head.

"In order to prevent an attempt of a violent seizure of weapons and to protect Russia’s FSB officers from the life-threatening attack by North Korean crewmembers, Russian FSB officers fired warning shots and then opened fire for effect from small arms. Nine crewmembers of the violator vessel were injured, one of them later died," the statement said.

The FSB’s border control department in the Primorsky Krai informed the North Korean Consulate General in Vladivostok about the use of weapons and taken measures.