Ukraine is making every effort to free its citizens, military pilot Nadia Savchenko and film director Oleh Sentsov, deputy head of the presidential administration Valeriy Chaly told the Inter television channel on Sunday evening.

"Ukraine is now making every effort. On the instruction of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko the Foreign Ministry is now sending notes to international partners, and we already have a lawyer," the press service of the Ukrainian president quoted Chaly as saying.

He also called unprecedented the fact that the Ukrainians had been imprisoned in Russia.

"That these are in fact abducted people, Ukrainians, who were moved to a prison in Russia, is an unprecedented case," he said, noting that the Russian side for several days has not allowed the Ukrainian consul to visit Savchenko.

"However, Chaly expressed hope that in the near future Ukrainian diplomats and lawyers would still have the opportunity to talk to the Ukrainian pilot and that the situation with prisoners will be resolved soon," the press service added.