Pretty disquieting...
Another update on the Kerch Strait incident from RFE/RL's news desk:
Unknown Number Of Captured Ukrainian Sailors Transferred To Moscow, Say Lawyers
An unknown number of 24 sailors from three Ukrainian naval vessels captured by Russia in the Sea of Azov last weekend have been transferred to a detention center in Moscow, one of their lawyers says.
Dzhemil Temishev wrote on Facebook on November 29 that his "colleagues" in the Lefortovo detention center in Moscow had informed him that some of the Ukrainian sailors had been brought there.
"They are being taken to Moscow's Lefortovo prison," Temishev said.
Emine Avamilyeva, another lawyer defending the sailors, said the Ukrainians were "taken by plane" to Moscow.
The lawyers could not say if all or only some of the sailors were being transferred.
There was no reaction from Russian authorities.
Well-known Crimean activist Nariman Dzhelyal told RFE/RL earlier on November 29 that wounded Ukrainian sailors who were seized on November 25 by Russian forces off the coast of the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula, had been transferred from the
city of Kerch to the Crimean capital, Simferopol.
Russia's TASS news agency reported the same day that three Ukrainian officers wounded in the incident had been released from hospital in Kerch.
Earlier this week, a court in Russia-controlled Simferopol ordered 15 of the captured sailors to be held in pretrial detention for two months despite international calls for their release.
The Ukraine-controlled Prosecutor's Office of Crimea called the captured Ukrainian sailors prisoners of war.
Kyiv said that on November 25, Russian forces opened fire on a group of its ships near Crimea, striking two warships and wounding six crew members before seizing the vessels along with a Ukrainian Navy tugboat.
With reporting by the Crimean Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, TASS and AFP
!!!BREAKING!!!
U.S.President Donald Trump has said on Twitter that he is cancelling his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin because of the Ukraine crisis.
MORE TO FOLLOW...
Here's more from our news desk on the Trump-Putin cancellation:
Trump Cancels Meeting With Putin At G20 Due To Ukraine Crisis
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter on November 29 that he is cancelling a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that was due to take place during the upcoming summit for the Group of 20 (G20) industrialized nations in Argentina, because of Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian vessels.
“Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting…in Argentina with President Vladimir Putin,"” Trump said in a tweet.
"I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved!," Trump added after departing for the G20 summit.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that the Kremlin had not received any official information on the cancellation of the scheduled meeting between Putin and Trump in Argentina. He said Putin would still participate in the G20 summit.
"We are flying to Argentina. So far, we have only seen the tweet and the media. We have no official information," he was quoted as saying.
Last weekend, Russian forces fired on Ukrainian ships and seized 24 sailors in the Black Sea off the coast of the Russia-controlled Crimean Peninsula.
U.S. Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo said on November 26 that Russia's seizure of the Ukrainian vessels represents "a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law."
With reporting by Reuters
Another backgrounder: