Staff from "ATO" concerned about the activation of Russian warships in the Azov Sea. They suggested that this is directly related to the detention by Ukrainian border guards on March 25 of the Kerch fishing boat "Nord". This was reported in the press center of the headquarters of "ATO" on its Facebook page. "Intelligence of the headquarters of the Antiterrorist operation notes the activation of the activities of the Coast Guard ships of the Border Guard Service of the FSB and the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy in the Azov Sea water area. In the same area, a number of measures are being taken to strengthen the Russian Federation grouping by ships and auxiliary vessels, "the message says.. Ukrainians argue that such actions are Moscow's response measures to detain a Russian seiner in the waters of Meotida. "Probably, the main goal of such actions can be symmetrical measures to detain the fishing vessel" Nord "by the State Border Service of Ukraine in the Azov Sea water area,. Despite this, the ATU headquarters warns Ukrainian fishermen fishing in the Sea of ??Azov about possible provocations by the Russian Federation, which may result in the detention of Ukrainian fishing vessels, "the military. Also, the staff officers did not rule out that the ships of the Russian Navy would act similarly in the Black Sea. Employees of the State Fire Service of Independent Pirate captured the fishing vessel "Nord" registered in Crimea with ten crew members with passports and under the flag of the Russian Federation in the Azov Sea on March 25. The ship was seized.
Captain Kerch seiner Vladimir Gorbenko was accused of "violation of the order of entry to the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and departure from it".
Later the skipper was arrested, but subsequently released after making a pledge.
The remaining nine members of the ship's crew were fined, but none of them can still leave Ukraine, as Kiev considers them citizens of the Nezalezhnaya. Also, Russians plan to be interrogated as witnesses in Gorbenko's case.