MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s state fishing agency said on Wednesday that a Russian vessel held by North Korean border guards had not been in North Korean waters when it was detained and that Pyongyang’s action had been illegal, the RIA news agency reported.

North Korea detained 15 Russian and two South Korean crew of a fishing vessel on July 17 for violating entry regulations, the Russian Embassy in North Korea said earlier on Wednesday.

According to the embassy, North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the crew was detained for “violating the rules of entry and stay in the territory of (North Korea).”