Lavrov stated that
the detained Ukrainian sailors have violated international and Russian laws.
MILANO, December 7.
/TASS/. The future of Ukrainian sailors, detained late last month for allegedly
violating a Russian state border, will be decided after a court trial, Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.
"As soon as the
investigation is over, a court trial will follow," Lavrov told
journalists. "We will be able to speak about ways of facilitating their
fate or of reaching an agreement on definite steps only after the court brings
out its decision."
Russia’s top diplomat
added that the Ukrainian sailors "are currently under an investigation,
Russia’s High Commissioner for Human Rights [Tatyana Moskalkova] is in
permanent contact with them, they have an access to [Ukrainian] Consular
services, they are feeling well and nothing poses a threat to their
health."
Lavrov stated that
the detained Ukrainian sailors have "violated the international and
Russian laws."
"They have
illegally entered the territorial waters of Russia, never left them, refused to
reply to requests," the minister said. "This is a crime recognized by
any country."
"For instance,
there is a directive regarding the state border between the United States and
Mexico to shoot to kill anyone attempting to cross it illegally," he said.
"We [Russia] have never acted this way."
On November 25, three
Ukrainian naval ships violated the procedure for passing through Russia’s
territorial waters while sailing from the Azov to the Black Sea.
After having breached
the Russian border, the three Ukrainian warships were warned by Russia’s maritime
security forces to stop. The intruding vessels ignored the demands, thereby
evoking a chase involving gunfire in the Kerch Strait whereupon three Ukrainian
navy sailors ended up lightly wounded.
They were later given
medical assistance. Consequently, the Ukrainian warships were detained and
brought to Kerch. A criminal case has been opened into the violation of the
Russian state border.
Russia has branded
Ukraine’s stunt a provocation, while the Ukrainian authorities have exploited
the incident to impose martial law. The European Union and NATO have called for
de-escalating the situation.
The Ukrainian ships’
crew members, 24 Ukrainian nationals, have been arrested until January 25,
2019, and transferred from Crimea’s Simferopol to Moscow earlier this month.
Source: ITAR-TASS
07-12-2018
