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Ukrainian embassy demands house arrest for sailors detained in Kerch Strait

The mission said it would ensure the defendants with accommodation in a house owned by the Embassy in Moscow and also guarantees that they will be escorted to investigative and judicial bodies

MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Embassy in Russia has demanded house arrest for the sailors accused of illegally crossing the state border in the Black Sea, saying that it is ready to provide them with accommodation in Moscow, lawyer Sergey Badamshin said.

"The Embassy is asking to provide assistance in submitting to the Russian court a motion on choosing house arrest as a pre-trial restriction measure for the Ukrainian citizens," the attorney said.

The diplomatic mission said it would ensure the defendants with accommodation in a house owned by the Embassy in Moscow and also guarantees that they will be escorted to investigative and judicial bodies.

On November 25, three warships of the Ukrainian Navy violated the rules of passage through Russia's territorial waters while en route from the Black Sea to the Azov Sea. The Russian side had to use weapons to compel the ships to stop. The ships were detained and escorted to the port of Kerch. A criminal case was launched on border violation charges.

Moscow described the incident as a provocation. The Ukrainian authorities declared martial law. The EU and NATO called for de-escalation of the situation. A number of countries, including the United States, criticized Russia and called for releasing the Ukrainian sailors.

Twenty-four Ukrainian sailors were arrested until January 25 and taken to a Moscow pre-trial detention center. They have been charged with illegally crossing Russia’s state border, and face up to six years in jail if found guilty.