MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st November, 2019) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the three Ukrainian warships returned to Kiev by Moscow after their seizure for the illegal crossing of the Russian border, lacked some equipment and weapons, adding that Ukraine would ask Russia to "return everything that is there."
Late on Wednesday, Nikopol, Berdyansk and Yany Kapu arrived at the Ochakiv naval base in southern Ukraine after being transferred to Ukraine earlier this week. Ukrainian navy chief Ihor Voronchenko said that the country's law enforcement agencies would assess the condition of the returned vessels.
"I am very happy that our military boats have arrived. As we have promised, we have returned our seamen and our vessels. As for what we have seen � there is indeed a partial lack of equipment and weapons. I saw the condition [of the vessels]. An investigation will be held [into it]. We will see all the details. We will, of course, ask Russia to return everything that is there," Zelenskyy told reporters at the Ochakiv base late on Wednesday, as aired lived by Ukrainian broadcasters.
The incident that resulted in the seizure of the Ukrainian vessels by Russia took place at the Kerch Strait area in November 2018. Then, the vessels entered the temporarily closed Russian maritime area moving toward Kerch Strait and refused to comply with the demands of the Russian authorities. The ships and crew were detained.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the incident a provocation linked to the low popularity of Ukraine's then-President Petro Poroshenko ahead of the presidential election.
The crew of the ships was transferred to Ukraine as part of a simultaneous release of detainees in September.
