The Nord vessel / dpsu.gov.ua

Seven sailors from Russia's Nord fishing vessel from Russian-occupied Crimea have been swapped for seven Ukrainian sailors from the YaMK-0041 vessel.

"Such a swap has taken place. Its formula was seven for seven," the press service of Russia's Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova told UNIAN.

However, the captain of the Nord, Vladimir Gorbenko, who is facing charges in Ukraine, has not taken part in the swap, and the Russian side will continue seeking his return to Crimea, the source said.

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The released Russian sailors have left for Crimea.

Read alsoUkraine ombudsperson asks Poroshenko to swap Ukrainian fishermen for Russian Nord crew

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian border guards on March 25 detained the Nord fishing vessel in the Sea of Azov. The vessel, registered in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, was flying the flag of Russia. There were 10 crewmen on board; all had passports of citizens of the Russian Federation.

Gorbenko, who is accused of arranging illegal entry of the crew from Russian-occupied Crimea for industrial fishing, faces up to five years in prison. He is charged under Part 1 of Article 249 (illegal fishing) and Part 2 of Article 332-1 (the violation of the procedure for entry and exit from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian border guards on May 4 detained the Ukrainian fishing vessel YaMK-0041 (whose home port is Ochakiv) west of Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea. The occupying authorities announced the crew of the vessel seized by Russia's FSB had been delivered to Crimea "for procedural actions."