Russia transferred detained Ukrainian sailors to Moscow
21 of 24 Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia are in a detention center in Moscow, said the lawyer of the Ukrainians Ayder Azamatov on
“At the moment, 21 out of 24 sailors are in Lefortovo Prison,” he said.
The lawyer said that three more injured Ukrainian soldiers are in Moscow. However, their exact location is unknown.
The defense attorneys claim that they do not refuse to assist the Ukrainian sailors and are ready to travel to Moscow for a meeting.
Vice-Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Iryna Herashchenko believes that the sailors were transferred from the Crimea because Russians fear the possible protest of the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatars in the annexed peninsula.
“In the first most difficult hours in the Crimea, which is not governed by Ukraine, the volunteer movement and support was very important. Special thanks to the Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians in the Crimea, who showed that the Crimea is ours, and they love and wait for the Ukrainian army,” Herashchenko said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is waiting for an official confirmation from Russia regarding the transfer of the Ukrainian sailors from the Crimea to the Russian Federation. Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova filed an appeal to the Russian Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova and requested information about the location of Ukrainian prisoners of war.