Captain of Russian Fishing Vessel Released by Ukraine Court

SIMFEROPOL (Crimea) (Sputnik) - The Kherson city court released on Thursday the captain of a Russian fishing vessel, seized by the Ukrainian authorities on March 25, until further hearings on Friday, Dmitry Shcherbina, a lawyer representing the crew of the Russian vessel, said.

Russian-flagged Crimea-registered fishing vessel Nord with 10-men crew was detained by the Ukrainian Border Guard Service on March 25 in the Sea of Azov. Moscow has demanded the immediate release of the "illegally detained" crew and the return of the vessel to its legitimate owner.

"The court released [Vladimir Gorbenko] until the main hearing. The hearing on the measure of restraint will be held at 13:30 [10:30 GMT]," Shcherbina said.

After the ship's detention in the Sea of Azov, a source told Sputnik that the command of Russia's Black Sea Fleet is considering the issue of ensuring the safety of navigation in the north-eastern part of the Black Sea.

"The threat of Ukrainian state piracy has already emerged: if the appropriate order is received, the Black Sea Fleet, including its aviation, will begin to ensure the safety of Russian shipping," the source said.