Facts

Return of ships to Ukraine by Russia at final stage - Zelensky's advisor

The process of returning the Ukrainian ships seized by Russia in the Kerch Strait in November 2018 is at the final stage, Ukrainian presidential advisor Andriy Yermak said.

"The process of returning the Berdiansk and Nikopol armored gunboats and the Yany Kapu tugboat captured last November is at the final stage," the New Time publication said citing Yermak as saying.

It had been reported earlier that Russian border guards used weapons in the Kerch Strait on November 25, 2018 to stop three Ukrainian naval vessels, the Yany Kapu tug and the Berdiansk and the Nikopol armored gunboats, and escorted them to Kerch. The Ukrainian vessels were traveling from Odesa to Mariupol.

Kyiv accused Moscow of violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and a treaty between Ukraine and Russia on cooperation in using the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait.

Russia charged the 24 Ukrainians on board the vessels, including two Ukrainian Security Service officials, with "conspiracy by a group of persons or an organized group to illegally cross the border using violence or the threat to use violence."

The 24 Ukrainians returned home on September 7 in the process of mutual liberation of prisoners by Ukraine and Russia.

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