Ukrainian tanker held off Crimea - FSB
MOSCOW. July 23 (Interfax) - Russian border guards have detained a Ukrainian tanker, the Smolny, off the Crimean coast in the Black Sea, which engaged in the illegal sale and purchase of fuel, the Kryminform news agency reported on Thursday, citing the regional office of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
"The Smolny vessel owned by Yuvas-Trans company has violated border regulations about seven times since the beginning of the year by entering Russia's territorial waters to carry out its activities without Russian border guards' permission," the FSB said.
The Ukrainian vessel was detained on July 18.
The inspection revealed no captain on the tanker and its ten-member crew lacking working documentation and an automatic identification system. "In other words, the ship was effectively a 'ghost' invisible to the state supervisory authorities," a spokesperson said.
The tanker was carrying 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 160 tonnes of diesel fuel without documentation. "The vessel was arrested and delivered to the port of Kerch. Its owner is facing a fine of over 3 million rubles," the spokesperson said.