What we know about the 3 Ukrainian naval vessels that Russia just fired upon and seized
- The Russian navy fired on two Ukrainian naval vessels and rammed a third off the coast of Crimea on Sunday.
- The Russian navy also took 23 Ukrainian sailors into custody, six of whom were wounded.
- The Ukrainian naval vessels were two Gurza-M class artillery boats, the Nikopol and Berdiansk, and one tugboat, the Yani Kapu.
Russia captured three Ukrainian naval vessels and its crews on Sunday off the coast of Crimea.
The Russian navy fired on two of the Ukrainian naval vessels and rammed a third in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov and Black Sea. Six of the 23 Ukrainian sailors on board that Russian officials now have in custody were wounded in the incident.
The Ukrainian vessels involved in the incident tried to pass through the strait and had given notice to the Russians, according to The Associated Press. Russian officials said the Ukrainian sailors were given warning to turn back before it opened fire, according to the Russian-government funded RT.
Russia has steadily increased its control around the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
The Ukrainian naval vessels were two Gurza-M class artillery boats, the Nikopol and Berdiansk, and one tugboat, the Yani Kapu.
Here's what we know about them.