Crimea's occupation authorities release 7 Ukrainian seamen, Nord's members cross border under Ukraine's legislation
Seven members of the Nord crew, who are citizens of Ukraine and who had no restrictions on movement, have returned home to the temporarily Crimean territory according to the current legislation of Ukraine, in turn, the occupation authorities of the peninsula released seven citizens of Ukraine, the State Border Service of Ukraine has reported.
Information about the alleged exchange of seven citizens of Ukraine, detained by Russian border guards, for members of the crew of the fishing vessel Nord does not correspond to reality, the website of the State Border Service of Ukraine reported.
"Today, on October 30, members of the Nord team have arrived at the Kalanchak checkpoint, whose Ukrainian citizenship was established during the administrative hearings in courts. Seven citizens of Ukraine received the right to return home to the temporarily occupied territory in Crimea, and the documents for leaving the mainland in accordance with applicable law were issued," the website of the State Border Service said on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian border department emphasize that there are no restrictions in movement in respect of these crew members.
"In turn, the occupation authorities of Crimea released seven citizens of Ukraine. All of them were detained in different cases by the border service of the FSB of the Russian Federation in the Azov and Black seas for allegedly illegal fishing or approaching the shores of the annexed peninsula. Thus, the invaders try to present the situation as an exchange which took place on the administrative border," the border agency of Ukraine said.