The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has expressed concern over the detention of a Ukrainian soldier by Russian forces in the sovereign territory of Ukraine and called on the Russian Federation to end the illegal occupation of Crimea and its aggression in Donbas.

"We are disturbed by recent media reports that a member of the Ukrainian military was detained by Russian forces on sovereign Ukrainian territory. Russia must cease its unlawful occupation of Crimea and halt its aggression in the Donbas. #CrimeaIsUkraine," the Embassy said on Facebook on Wednesday.

As reported, on Saturday, May 30, in the area of the Chonhar peninsula, the absence of a serviceman of one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was discovered. His whereabouts were unknown, and it was assumed that he had been abducted by unknown persons.

"According to preliminary information, he could have been abducted, since there were signs of a fight found nearby the serviceman's location at this facility. I want to note that the special personnel involved in the service in this area carry weapons, ammunition and radio communications equipment. Several soldiers were on duty at these military facilities. We want to say right away that the weapons and ammunition of this soldier are available," head of the communications department of the command of the airborne assault forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Major Valentyn Shevchenko said.

Later, the FSB of the Russian Federation confirmed the detention of the Ukrainian military. "The border management of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea detained a person for illegally crossing the state border from Ukraine to the Russian Federation without identity documents, who was intoxicated," the FSB said on its website. The ministry also said that during a personal search, the detainee was found and seized "a substance of plant origin, presumably a narcotic drug that was sent for examination." A criminal case under Part 1 of Article 322 of the Criminal Code of Russia was opened in respect to Dobrunsky Y.V.