"We appeal to you, and through you, to the Council of Europe, to take all possible measures for the immediate release of our imprisoned relatives. We are asking you to react to the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation and to assist in the protection of the personal freedoms of illegally imprisoned citizens of Ukraine", the letter says.

On November 25, 2018, Russian security forces attacked three Ukrainian warships near the Kerch Strait during a peaceful passage from Odessa to Mariupol, which resulted in the capture of 24 Ukrainian citizens.

This new phase in Russia's violation of the Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has become another turning point in the escalation of tensions in the region.

Earlier, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland, the Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic and the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Timo Soini made the relevant statements in connection with the incident in the Kerch Strait on 25 November 2018.

On 24 January 2019, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution entitled " The escalation of tensions around the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait and threats to European security". The Assembly therefore urges the Russian Federation to immediately release the Ukrainian servicemen and ensure they are granted the necessary medical, legal and/or consular assistance in accordance with relevant provisions of international humanitarian law such as the Geneva Conventions.

"The human rights situation in Crimea remains deteriorating. The latest provocative actions of the Russian Federation in the Kerch Strait are unacceptable. We urge to closely follow this situation, to demand respect of the rights and immediate release of Ukrainian seamen who are prisoners of war ", Ambassador Dmytro Kuleba emphasized.