Three sailors from captured Ukrainian tugboat refuse to testify Tuesday, December 25, 2018 9:00:00 AM

Three Ukrainian sailors from the tugboat Yany Kapu who were captured by Russia on November 25 off the Kerch Strait have declared themselves prisoners of war and refused to testify, said Russian attorney Nikolai Polozov in a Facebook post.

According to him, the defense team of the imprisoned sailors has met with Yuriy Budzylo and Andriy Shevchenko, members of the Yany Kapu’s crew. The attorneys report that Shevchenko was in a good frame of mind, and did not have any health complaints. Volunteers have already been given a list of items and products that he needs.

“During the investigation proceedings, Budzylo told the investigator on record that he is a prisoner of war. He refused to make any other statements,” Polozov added.

He also mentioned that the attorney Islyam Velilyaev had met with Mikhail Vlasyuk, another crew member.

“Before the start of the investigation, the attorney was able to talk to Mikhail one-on-one. Vlasyuk said that he is being held in a double room, and that he has been given all the products and things he needs through volunteers. He does not have health complaints, and feels normal, not depressed. The attorney explained to Mikhail what he must do if he is put under psychological pressure by FSB operatives or a cellmate to incriminate himself, his military comrades, or to admit guilt,” Polozov noted.

Later, during the investigation, Vlasyuk said on record that he is a prisoner of war.

“He was the 21st Ukrainian sailor to tell the Russian FSB investigators that he is a prisoner of war,” Polozov observed.

On November 25, Russian troops captured three Ukrainian boats, the Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yana Kapu in neutral Black Sea waters. All 24 crew members were taken to Simferopol, where a Russia-controlled court placed them under arrest for two months. The following day, the sailors were transferred to Moscow, where they remain to this day. Following this aggression by Russia in the Kerch Strait, martial law was declared in the 10 provinces of Ukraine that border with Russia or unrecognized Transnistria.

Russia has refused to recognize the Ukrainian sailors as prisoners of war, and instead accuses them of committing criminal offenses.

On November 27, the propagandist TV channel TVC.RU published a video of the detained Ukrainians being interrogated by Russian law enforcement officers. In the video, Volodymyr Lisovyi, commander of one of the Ukrainian naval units, said that he “deliberately ignored” Russia’s requests and was aware that “the actions of the Ukrainian vessels were provocative”. In the video it is clear that Lisovyi is reading a text prepared in advance.

However, on December 12, the commander of the Berdyansk said that he does not intend to make any statements until his crew is released. Oleh Melnychuk, commander of the Yany Kapu, also refused to testify in Russian court. The remaining sailors have started to follow his example, refusing to testify to the Russian FSB.

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