Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Volodymyr Omelyan called illegal inspections by Russian border guards of Ukrainian ships passing through the Kerch Strait. "This is another gross violation of international legal norms by the Russian authorities. We understand that this step is conscious, it is difficult to predict the next steps, "the minister said on May 8 at a meeting in the department. Earlier in the press service of the Frontier Directorate of the Federal Security Service for Crimea and Sevastopol, the agency Kryminform was informed that Russian border guards are inspecting vessels passing through the Kerch Strait within the framework of antiterrorist measures.

The border guards added that all actions are carried out in strict accordance with international maritime law, and that no claims from foreign shipowners to the actions of Russian border guards have been received. Ukrainian border guards detained a Crimean ship with a crew of 10 Russian citizens in the Azov Sea on March 25. The captain of the ship Vladimir Gorbenko was arrested until May 31, the crew members were charged with administrative offense. Two seamen managed to escape from Ukraine to Russia via Belarus.