Russia hands back three seized Ukraine ships: foreign ministry

Russia said Monday it has handed back three Ukrainian naval ships it seized off the coast of Crimea a year ago. "On November 18 the handover took place to the Ukrainian side of three Ukraine naval ships that illegally crossed the Russian border in November 2018," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Kiev has not released any comment so far.

In November 2018, Russian forces boarded and took control of the ships as they headed through the Kerch Strait, a narrow waterway giving access to the Sea of Azov that is used by Ukraine and Russia.