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Russia, Ukraine discuss exchange of detained Ukrainian sailors — diplomat

In all, 24 Ukrainian nationals are currently held in a pretrial detention center in Moscow

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/. Russia and Ukraine are discussing the issue of exchanging Ukrainian sailors detained in the Kerch Strait, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told reporters on Monday.

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As Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova reported on Monday, Russia was ready to release Ukraine’s sailors and return the ships with the obligation that Kiev would ensure their participation in the judicial process.

"I want to reiterate that Russia sent a note to Ukraine that it is ready to release the sailors if their participation in the judicial process is provided and return vessels if they are preserved as evidence," she said on Ukraine’s TV channel Pryamoi live following the Ukrainian court’s ruling to postpone the hearing of the Vyshinsky case for July 19.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) did not approach Russia about "the end of the criminal case against the sailors, but raised the issue of their release or probably the change of the measure of restriction imposed on them."

In response to its note, Russia received a negative note from Ukraine, which President Vladimir Zelensky knew nothing about," Moskalkova added.

The border trespassing incident

On November 25, three Ukrainian naval ships violated the procedure for passing through Russia’s territorial waters while sailing from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.

After having breached the Russian border, the three Ukrainian warships were warned by Russia’s maritime security forces to stop. The intruding vessels ignored the demands, thereby evoking a chase involving gunfire in the Kerch Strait in which three Ukrainian navy sailors ended up lightly wounded. They were later provided medical assistance. Consequently, the Ukrainian warships were detained and brought to Kerch. A criminal case was opened into the violation of the Russian state border.

The ships’ crewmembers — 24 Ukrainian nationals — are currently held in a pretrial detention center in Moscow and charged with violating the Russian border under Article 322.3 of the Russian Criminal Code. If found guilty, they may face up to six years in prison.

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