Ukraine detains Russian tanker over last year's Kerch Strait incident

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said on Thursday that it had detained a Russian tanker in the Ukrainian port of Izmail for its alleged involvement in last November's Kerch Strait incident.

The SBU said the vessel, formerly named Neyma, entered the port of Izmail in the Odessa region under the name of Nika Spirit and was detained once identified.

In November 2018, 24 Ukrainian sailors and their three vessels were seized by the Russian navy for allegedly violating the Russian border. The incident marked a major escalation in tensions between the two countries.

A source in the Russian Foreign Ministry was quoted by Russia's Sputnik news agency as saying that Russia is aware that its tanker was held by the SBU.