Ukrainian Piracy Prompts Creation of Azov Task Force - Russia Will Work to Keep Ships Safe From Raids
A special group for fighting Ukrainian piracy is being established on the Azov Sea. It will record where the fishing vessels are, keep in touch with the captains of ships and shipowners and give them instructions. All this in order to prevent a repeat of the story with the seiner "Nord". It was captured in neutral waters on March 25. Since then the crew is kept locked up, on a ship with tons of rotten fish. So this is not even a captivity, but torture. Russian diplomats are not allowed to see them. The captain of the vessel, who spent the second day in the Kherson court, was taken to the hospital. But only for a few hours. Then he was brought back again to the courtroom, but the hearing was rescheduled once again.
Pavel Melnik will tell us why.
The Crimea is waiting for news. The local press appears today under the headlines: "The act of political anger and powerlessness". The Russian fishing vessel "Nord" was detained by Ukraine. At these moments the fate of the crew is decided. How to return the sailors home, to the peninsula — a question that lawyers are looking for an answer for several days. But no luck so far. The only thing they managed to do is to get medical care. Vladimir Gorbenko's, the captain's, blood pressure has shot up in detention.
Anna Sheveleva, press secretary: "His health is not very good. An ambulance was needed. They took him to the hospital and provided the necessary help, but unfortunately, they recognized the need for only outpatient treatment. They provided the necessary medicines and sent him back to the temporary detention center".
Ukraine, which still considers the Crimea its own, accuses the Russian citizen of "violating the procedure of leaving the temporarily occupied territory". Seiner was detained in the Azov Sea. The entire Crimean Peninsula is waiting for news from Kherson, where the court session will be held. All the latest information has to be collected bit by bit.
Sergey Leskov, Chairman of the Fishing Collective Farm: "The Service of Ukraine periodically checked our vessels before. We provided the same documents that were submitted know. No comments or demands were made. What happened now? Unclear!"
Footage from the ship. Third day under escort. The crew is blocked by the armed officers of the SSU, there are problems with drinking water and with the delivery of products to the ship.
Tatyana Savelieva, wife of assistant to captain: "What situation? The fish stinks. Uncertainty. There's no captain. Of course, it's hard for them".
The detention of a Russian vessel in the administration of the FSS in the Crimea is classified as hijacking. Seiner was blocked in the Azov Sea and towed to the Ukrainian shore. A criminal case has been opened against the Ukrainian border service. Now we need to save the sailors.
Pavel Melnik, Alexander Mehur, Dmitry Sorokin, and Veronika Katkova — Vesti, Crimea