Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova has reported that the three wounded Ukrainian sailors currently imprisoned in Russia – Andriy Artemenko, Andriy Eyder and Vasyl Soroka – will be sent for a medical examination by Russian doctors.
"Russia has finally heard the appeals of Ukraine and the entire civilized world to provide medical care to the young men. I hope Ms. Moskalkova's statements about the 'thorough medical examination' will not be limited to its lite version. After all, our fellow countrymen have not received qualified treatment for nearly three months," Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova wrote on Facebook on February 19.
Read alsoEU agrees sanctions against eight Russian citizens over Azov Sea incident
UNIAN memo. On the morning of November 25, Russia blocked the passage to the Kerch Strait for the Ukrainian tugboat "Yany Kapu" and two armored naval boats "Berdyansk" and "Nikopol," which were on a scheduled re-deployment from the Black Sea port of Odesa to the Azov Sea port of Mariupol.
The Ukraine Navy Command noted that the Russian side had been informed of the plans to re-deploy the vessels in advance in accordance with international standards to ensure the safety of navigation.
The Russian coast guard ship "Don" rammed the Ukrainian tugboat, damaging the Ukrainian vessel. As the Ukrainian boats were heading back in the Odesa direction after being rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them.
All 24 crew members on board were captured and later remanded in custody for two months, being charged with "illegal border crossing" (the sailors are facing up to six years in prison). Three crewmen were wounded in the attack.
Russian-controlled "courts" in occupied Crimea ruled that all 24 detainees should be remanded in custody, after which they were transferred to the Moscow-based Lefortovo and Matrosskaya Tishina detention centers. Moscow's Lefortovo district court in January 2019 decided to keep the Ukrainian sailors in remand until the end of April 2019.
