SIMFEROPOL, November 26. /TASS/. Twenty-four crewmembers of the Ukrainian warships that violated the Russian border have been detained in Crimea, Crimea’s head Sergei Aksyonov said on Monday.
"Those wounded are receiving comprehensive medical assistance at a hospital in Kerch. They are in condition of medium gravity. There is no threat to the lives of other 24 Ukrainian seamen who have been detained," he said in an interview with Russia’s television Channel One.
A source in the local law enforcement agencies told TASS earlier in the day that a Crimean court is expected to choose a measure of restraint for the detained Ukrainian seamen on November 27.
Kerch Strait incident
In violation of the rules of passage via Russia’s territorial sea and the Kerch Strait, three warships of the Ukrainian Navy crossed Russia’s state border on November 25. The Russian side had to use weapons to compel the ships to stop. Three Ukrainian servicemen were lightly wounded. They received medical assistance. The ships were detained and escorted to the port of Kerch. A criminal case was initiated on border violation charges.
The Russian side described the incident as a provocation.
Meanwhile the Ukrainian authorities have come up with an initiative to declare martial law. The European Union and NATO, in turn, have called for de-escalation of the situation.
