Ukrainian border guards detain a Russian fishing boat in the Sea of Azov
On Sunday, March 25, Ukrainian border guards detained a Russian fishing boat in the Sea of Azov.,as reported on the website of the State Border Service. "Yesterday, in Ukrainian waters, a maritime security ship detained a fishing boat violator under the flag of Russia. There were ten people on board,” the message reads. All ten sailors had Russian passports issued in Kerch.
The "Nord" vessel which was registered in the territory of annexed Crimea was stopped 15 miles away from the Obytichna spit. According to the Ukrainian border guards, it violated the procedure of exit from the “temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine”.
The vessel was transferred to the port of Berdyansk for further inspection and procedural activities, and identification of the detained. A trawl net for fishing and five tons of seafood were found during the inspection. The Prosecutor’s Office, Security Service of Ukraine and Zaporizhia region police were informed about the incident.
Protocols under Article 204-2 of the Code of Administrative Offences relating to “violation of the procedure of entry into and exit from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine” were drawn up concerning detained team members of the vessel.
The State Security of Ukraine has given a notice under Article 322-1 of the Criminal code, “violation of the procedure of entry into and exit from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine” to the captain of the vessel.
In March 2017 was the first time that Ukraine seized an international vessel entering the Crimea.