The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the prosecutor's office in Odesa region have detained Russian tanker Neyma, that was blocking Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait.
The SBU has said this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
"During a pre-trial investigation, it was found out that under a direct order of the top leadership of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), representatives of the Border Service of the FSB committed an act of armed aggression against Ukrainian military vessels of Nikopol, Berdiansk and towboat Yany Kapu in the Kerch Strait," the statement says.
The SBU notes that the border troops of the Russian FSB illegally blocked the movement of Ukrainian military vessels at the Kerch Strait with the help of the NEYMA tanker (8895528, MMSI 273347000, flag of the Russian Federation).
SBU investigators have launched a pre-trial investigation and in-absentia served 15 Russian military officials with charge papers.
On July 24, according to information from Ukrainian border guards, the Russian-flagged NIKA SPIRIT tanker entered the port of Izmail.
In compliance with the international information system EQUASIS was identified as the already known tanker NEYMA, used to block the Kerch Strait.
The investigation says that the vessel was renamed to conceal its involvement in the unlawful actions and acts of aggression on November 25, 2018.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on November 25, 2018, Russian military detained two Ukrainian motorboats and one towboat of the Ukrainian Navy near the Kerch Strait.
A total of 24 Ukrainian seamen were taken hostage.
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