MOSCOW, February 18 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court has refused to consider appeals against extended detention of  four Ukrainian sailors charged with illegal crossing of Russian borders, the court’s press service has told RAPSI.

Appeals filed in defense of Victor Bespalchenko, Vladislav Kostyshin, Vladimir Lisovoy, Vladimir Varimez have been excluded from consideration in the appeals court. They have been returned to Moscow’s Lefortovsky District Court for corrective actions.

On November 25, Russian border guard officers had to engage a weapon to stop unwarranted maneuvers of three Ukrainian ships in Russia’s territorial waters in the area of Kerch Strait. The ships were seized while 24 crew members were arrested. Three sailors were wounded.

Simferopol and Kerch courts ruled the sailors be detained. On November 30, all of them were transferred to Moscow.