Captured sailors: Ukraine asks UN Chief to assist in release

Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, on Tuesday put his signature under a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asking him for assistance in releasing the detained Ukrainian sailors.

The Ukrainian sailors were charged with violating Russian border in the Kerch Strait.

According to a statement on the presidential website, the letter, which was written by public activists, was signed by over 24,500 Ukrainians, including public and cultural figures.

Poroshenko would hand over the letter to Guterres during his visit to UN headquarters in New York on Feb. 20, the statement noted.

Poroshenko would pay a one-day visit to UN headquarters to take part in the UN General Assembly debate on the developments in Ukraine.

On Nov. 25, 2018, Russian forces seized three Ukrainian Naval ships as well as 24 sailors on board attempting to sail through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov.

Moscow accused them of illegally crossing the Russian border, which Kiev denied and urged Moscow to release the captured sailors.