28 EU member states join "Azov package" of sanctions against Russia - Poroshenko

Twenty eight EU member states have joined the so-called "Azov package" of sanctions against the Russian Federation. This was reported by President Poroshenko during the public meeting concerning the release of the Ukrainian sailors, - 112 Ukraine reports.

"These 28 EU member states unanimously imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation for its attack against Ukraine in Azov Sea and Kerch Strait. This form of solidarity is extremely important", - Poroshenko stated.

As it was reported, the EU Council of Ministers approved "Azov package" of sanctions against Russia.

On November 25, 2018, the Russian border guards seized the Ukrainian Yany Kapu raid tugboat and the Berdiansk and Nikopol small armored artillery boats of the Naval Forces of the AFU in the Kerch Strait area with the use of weapons, which have been heading from Odesa to Mariupol.

As a result of the incident, 24 Ukrainian sailors were detained and arrested. They were transported from the Crimea to the Moscow Lefortovo Prison. Furthermore, three Ukrainian sailors wounded by the Russians during the shelling were transferred to the hospital of Matrosskaya Tishina prison.

The FSB of Russia opened a criminal case and charged all Ukrainian captive sailors with illegal crossing of the border, committed by a group of persons in collusion, either by an organized group, or using violence or threatening to use it (Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).