The captain of the Crimean "Nord" escaped from Ukrainian captivity
The captain of the Crimean seiner “Nord” captured by Ukraine, Vladimir Gorbenko, the last crew member who was held by Kiev awaiting trial, was able to escape from captivity and return to Crimea.
Gorbenko, whose disappearance in Ukraine was reported several days ago , has returned home, Komsomolskaya Pravda reports.
Gorbenko stated that he entered the territory of Crimea using his Russian passport.
“Initially and recently, before the end of this process, they proposed to admit guilt, without bringing the case to trial, to receive a Ukrainian passport and return home with a Ukrainian passport. Initially, the emphasis was on the fact that I had to return using a Ukrainian passport. But I returned home with a Russian passport,” Gorbenko said.
He did not disclose to journalists the details of his disappearance in Ukraine and how he managed to get to the peninsula.
“They didn’t have any physical influence on me. The people were reasonable and understood that this was a political matter,” the captain said.
Gorbenko emphasized that during the 10 months in Ukrainian captivity “I didn’t feel guilty - I didn’t break any laws, I honestly fulfilled my duties as a captain, I fished with permission, I know the rules of fishing.”
Gorbenko hopes that he will return to fishing again with his crew.
PolitNavigator reported that Ukraine suffered significant losses as a result of the seizure of the Crimean seiner Nord with its fishermen, after which Russia, in response, strengthened border controls in the Sea of Azov and tightened inspections of ships heading to the Ukrainian ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol.
The captain of the Crimean "Nord" has escaped from Ukrainian captivity.