Return of Seized Ships

On November 25, 2018, Russia seized the small armored artillery boats of the Ukrainian Navy "Berdiansk" and "Nikopol", as well as the tugboat "Yany Kapu" together with their crew – 24 sailors.

The UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea obliged Russia to immediately release the captured sailors and the seized vessels.

After the exchange with Russia on September 7, all the sailors returned to Ukraine together with other prisoners, but the Russian Federation did not hand over the ships.

The return process intensified in mid-November 2019. On November 18, Russia returned all the ships in the open Black Sea. They were taken to Odesa.