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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Russian consul visits Russian citizens detained in east Ukraine

The consul said Russian citizens Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov detained in east Ukraine's Luhansj region on May 17 feel well

Yevgeny Yerofeyev in a bed at a hospital as his image is televized to the Shevchenko district court in Kiev, Ukraine, 22 May EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

Yevgeny Yerofeyev in a bed at a hospital as his image is televized to the Shevchenko district court in Kiev, Ukraine, 22 May

© EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

KIEV, May 26. /TASS/. The consul of the Russian Federation in Ukraine has visited the Russian nationals detained in Ukraine in a Kiev hospital, Russian Embassy spokesman Oleg Grishin told TASS.

"Our consul has just visited Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov. In general, they feel well. Details of the visit will be reported later," Grishin said.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday the note of the country’s embassy in Kiev demanding access of a consular official to two Russians detained in Ukraine. The ministry said Moscow hopes that Kiev will stop manipulating the public opinion and in the near future will allow access to Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov, who were captured in mid-May near Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine.

"Since the first day of the detention of Russian citizens Alexandrov and Yerofeyev on Ukraine’s territory, the Russian diplomats both in Kiev and in Moscow have been taking active steps for the Russian consul to meet with them," the statement reads.

{history:9714:'Read also':'right':'50'}Russian citizens face at least 15 years in prison on terrorist charges

Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov were arrested by court in Kiev last Thursday.

The two Russian citizens are facing a prison term of at least 15 years, spokesman for the Security Service of Ukraine Vitaly Naida said shortly before. He noted that they were suspected of carrying out "terrorist attacks" under Article 258 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. "They may be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison," he said.

Last Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry made a statement expressing hope for "the release of the former service members detained by Ukraine’s Security Service." "At the time of their detention on May 17, Russian nationals Alexander Alexandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev captured by Ukraine’s Security Service in the Luhansk region were not on active service in the Russian Armed Forces," Defence Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said.

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