Crimean vessel flying Russian flag arrested in Azov Sea

A coastguard ship of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service (SBGS) has arrested in the Ukrainian waters of the Azov Sea a fishing vessel flying the flag of the Russian Federation, with ten crewmembers on board, the SBGS press office has reported.

"The vessel Nord was stopped 15 miles from the Obytichna spit. It was established during the inspection that it is registered in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. In addition, crewmembers violated the order for leaving the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. All of them had so-called passports of citizens of the Russian Federation, issued in the city of Kerch," the report says.

It notes that the detained vessel with the crew was tugged to the port of Berdiansk for further verification and procedural actions. The detainees will be identified.

A trawl for fishing and five tons of seafood were found during the inspection of the vessel.

op