The case involving the Russian seizure of the rescue vessel "Sapphire" has been referred to court
The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment with the court against three servicemen of the Russian Federation’s Black Sea Fleet—the former chief of staff, the first deputy commander of the fleet, the commander of the reconnaissance ship *Equator*, and the captain of the rescue and tugboat *Shakhtar*.
This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
They are charged with a war crime—the unlawful deprivation of liberty of civilians, committed by a group of persons acting in concert (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
According to the investigation, on February 26, 2022, Russian military forces seized the Ukrainian search-and-rescue vessel “Sapphire” near Zmiinyi Island. The vessel was on a humanitarian mission and had no military purpose.
There were 21 civilians on board—17 crew members and 4 civilians, including a medic and clergymen. All were illegally detained.
After the seizure, a high-ranking Russian Navy official interrogated the captain, attempting to establish the crew’s ties to the Ukrainian military and intelligence services, despite being aware of the vessel’s humanitarian status. Subsequently, the individuals were restricted in their movements, subjected to interrogations and searches accompanied by threats and the display of weapons.
The vessel was towed to the temporarily occupied Crimea, and the crew was taken to Russian territory. In March–May 2022, they were released as part of an exchange. The military officer who gave the order to seize the “Sapphire” was later promoted to commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
“Consistent work on such landmark cases—from gathering evidence to filing an indictment with the court and subsequently maintaining the public prosecution—once again demonstrates that Ukraine’s legal system is functioning steadfastly under wartime conditions. War crimes are being documented, and accountability is being established, laying a solid foundation for post-war justice,” explained Andriy Svatok, head of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
As a reminder, Russian military ships have seized and are holding the civilian rescue vessel “Sapphire” in the vicinity of Zmiinyi Island. Currently, contact with the rescue vessel has been lost.
