Ukraine arrests Russian ship for sand extraction off Crimea coast for Kerch bridge construction

A Russian vessel that had carried out illegal sand mining off the coast of the occupied Crimea was arrested by the Ukrainian court, as reported by the press office of the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

According to experts, environmental damage is estimated at hundreds of millions of hryvnias.

"During the pre-trial investigation, the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea together with the Navy recorded illegal operations of the company registered in the Russian Federation on the illegal extraction of natural resources (sand ) off Crimea coast," the report said.

Read alsoUkraine, Russia face off over fishing boatThe department stressed that with the purpose of reimbursing the damage the court granted the prosecutor's motion to seize the vessel, which is now being held in the port of the city of Yuzhny. The ship belongs to the Russian company-violator.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko says that illegal sand mining took place in the "Swan Islands" reserve in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea.

Read alsoOccupation authorities try to hand over Ukrainian passports to crew of seized Crimean vessel"Stolen sand is used for the illegal construction of the occupiers' bridge in the Kerch area," the Prosecutor General wrote on Facebook.