Germany ready to ensure presence of warships in Black Sea - Bundeswehr

Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister for European Integration Anatoliy Petrenko discussed this during a meeting with the Director for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Michael Siebert, and the Parliamentary Secretary of State of the Bundeswehr, Thomas Silberhorn, the Defense Ministry of Ukraine reported.

"During the meeting, the sides discussed the prospects for deploying a peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine and the OSCE observers in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to prevent an escalation of the armed conflict, as well as measures taken and a common strategy for the release of Ukrainian sailors who were illegally arrested by the Russian Federation and whose health has recently deteriorated and causes concern," the report says.

The German side assured its readiness to continue supporting Ukraine in de-escalating and deterring Russia’s armed aggression, including by ensuring the military presence of the Bundeswehr’s naval ships in the Black Sea, and seeking the release of Ukrainian sailors and supporting reforms in the security and defense sectors of Ukraine.

The parties considered the prospects for expanding military and technical cooperation between the two countries and building up Ukraine’s naval capabilities.

During the meetings, the sides emphasized the importance of further support for Ukraine on the path towards Euro-Atlantic integration, and strengthening its partnership relations with the Federal Republic of Germany and other members of the Alliance.

The results of the meetings will be used to prepare the military and political dialogue at the level of the defense ministers of Ukraine and Germany during the Munich Security Conference and the official visit in Kyiv.

As reported, on November 25, 2018, Russian border ships fired on and seized in the Kerch Strait three Ukrainian naval vessels that were moving from Odesa to Mariupol. Twenty-four Ukrainian sailors were captured.

The sailors were detained for two months. They were charged with illegally crossing Russia's border in the Black Sea. On November 29, Ukrainians were taken to a detention center in Moscow.

On January 16, Moscow's Lefortovo District Court extended the arrest of all 24 seamen until April 24 and 26, 2019.

All captured sailors called themselves prisoners of war.