Ukrainian naval ships, captured by Russia last November and released on Tuesday to be returned to Ukraine, are in very poor condition and cannot move independently, the commander of Ukraine’s navy said on Wednesday.
Russia seized three ships in the Kerch Strait and captured 24 crew members in November 2018. The ships—two small Ukrainian armored artillery vessels and a tug boat—were sailing from the Black Sea port of Odessa to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov. When they reached the Kerch Strait, Russian forces intercepted them and opened fire, wounding several sailors.
