Kiev, July 31 (IANS) A Ukrainian court has detained the Russian Nika Spirit tanker and documents were also seized during the search of the vessel, authorties have said.
“According to the study of the relevant petition, the court seized the said vessel together with the documents found during the search.” the country’s Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoliy Matios on Tuesday wrote on Facebook.
He underlined that the investigative actions carried out on the vessel by the Ukrainian law enforcement officers were legal even without the permission of the Russian consul.
On July 25, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) detained a Russian tanker in the Ukrainian port of Izmail for its alleged involvement in last November’s Kerch Strait incident.
The SBU said the vessel, formerly named Neyma, entered the port of Izmail in the Odessa region under the name of Nika Spirit and was detained once identified.
In November 2018, 24 Ukrainian sailors and their three vessels were seized by the Russian navy for allegedly violating the Russian border. The incident marked a major escalation in tensions between the two countries.
–IANS
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