The Ukrainian Security Service said Thursday it had seized a Russian tanker in a Black Sea port, a move that could undermine an anticipated prisoner swap between the two countries.
The security service said it detained the Russian tanker in a Ukrainian port on Wednesday. Authorities said the tanker was used in a Russian operation to block Ukrainian vessels from sailing through the Kerch Strait in November.
The 10-member crew was allowed to disembark and leave Ukraine since they were not involved in November’s incident, Russian human rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova said.
Russian ships fired on and seized Ukrainian vessels on Nov. 25 in the Kerch Strait, located between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Russia insisted the boats violated its territorial waters and detained the 24 Ukrainians onboard.
Ukraine said the vessels had been in international waters. The aggression sparked a crisis amid already strained relations between the two countries.
Officials both in Russia and Ukraine said earlier this month that they are preparing a major prisoner swap that would include the Ukrainian crew members………read more
Source: AP News
