Process Of Recovering 3 Ukrainian Ships Captured In Kerch Strait Almost Done - Official

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th November, 2019) The process of getting back three Ukrainian ships seized by Russia for violating its maritime border in the Kerch Strait almost a year ago is at its final stage, Andrii Yermak, the aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says.

On November 25, 2018, two small armored gunboats of the Ukrainian Navy, Berdyansk and Nikopol, along with the Yany Kapu tugboat crossed the Russian maritime border in the Black Sea, disregarding warnings from the Russian coast guard, which ended up arresting the 22 sailors and two members of the Ukrainian Security Service who were on board the vessels.

"The process of recovering small armored gunboats Berdyansk and Nikopol, and also tugboat Yany Kapu, seized last November, is at its final stage," Yermak told the Ukrainian New Time weekly magazine.

Earlier in the month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said that the Ukrainian military was ready to arrive at any location in order to get its vessels back.