Ukraine threatens to detain all vessels leaving the Crimea
Oleh Slobodyan, the Spokesman for the Ukrainian Border Guard Service told the Obozrevatel.com that the authorities will immediately react to vessels that violate the law of sailing into and out of the Crimea.
Slobodyan said, "Ukraine's position is unequivocal: Crimea is an illegally occupied part of Ukraine, so law enforcement agencies will immediately react to procedure violations of entry and exit from the occupied territory." He emphasized that Ukraine acts "within the legal framework and existing legislation."
On March 25, Ukrainian border guards detained the “Nord” fishing boat flying the flag of the Russian Federation in the Sea of Azov. Ten of its crew members were Russian citizens. The ship was seized and is currently docked in the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk.
The Crimean Department of the FSB opened a criminal case about the hijacking of the Russian vessel against the employees of the State Border Service of Ukraine under the Article 211 “Hijacking of an Aircraft, a Sea-going Ship, or a Railway Train."