28 Nov 2018 16:46

Ukrainian ships didn't respond to Russia's inquiries, entered waters that were Russia's before Crimea joined - Putin

MOSCOW. Nov 28 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian naval vessels detained in the Kerch Strait did not respond to Russia's inquiries and entered waters that were Russian even before Crimea became part of Russia, President Vladimir Putin said.

"What happened now? They didn't respond to our border service's inquiries at all and entered our territorial waters. Notice that they entered our territorial waters, which were such before Crimea's unification with the Russian Federation, in a place where those territorial waters had always been Russian territorial waters," Putin said at VTB Capital's Russia Calling Investment Forum on Wednesday.

After entering Russian territorial waters, the ships headed for the Crimean Bridge and did not respond to requests that they stand at anchorage, he said.

"To proposals to take a pilot - they don't care. After they violated our border, they were offered a pilot - silence, they don't say anything at all," Putin said.