Crew of Russian tanker seized near Ukraine released; sailors permitted to return to Russia

The crew of the Russian tanker Nika Spirit has been released from Ukrainian custody, according to Denis Golenko, the press attaché for the Russian Embassy in Ukraine. Tatiana Moskalkova, the Russian government’s top human rights official, added that the sailors will sail to Moldavia before taking a flight to Moscow.

Altomar Shipping, the company that owns the tanker, also reported on its crew’s release. However, the Ukrainian outlet Strana (Country) claimed that the sailors were forced to commit to further questioning by Ukrainian investigators at a later date. Interfax reported that there were 15 Russian citizens on board the ship.

According to Ukraine’s National Security Service, the Nika Spirit, previously called the Neyma, was used to block the Kerch Strait in November 2018, leading to the capture of 24 Ukrainian sailors.