Three Russians to face trial in absentia over 2022 seizure of Ukrainian search and rescue vessel “Sapfir” rescue ship

An indictment has been filed with the court for a trial in absentia against three Russian servicemen accused of seizing the Ukrainian search and rescue vessel “Sapfir” near Snake Island in 2022, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General. 

While the names of the Russian servicemen were not officially disclosed, their ranks and titles, released by investigators, suggest the following individuals are involved:

• Sergey Pinchuk, former Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, who is also allegedly linked to the mining of the “grain corridor” and the shelling of civilian cities;
• Boris Pereverzev, commander of the reconnaissance ship Ekvator;
• Stanislav Stavitsky, captain of the rescue-tug vessel Shakhtar.

Suspected commanders of the “Ekvator” and “Shakhtar”

Investigators state that these individuals are responsible for the seizure of the “Sapfir” during the initial days of the full-scale Russian invasion. At the time, 21 people were on board: 17 crew members and four civilians. Among the civilians were Vasyl Vyrozub, a chaplain of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and Ivan Tarasenko, a doctor from the Odesa Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital.

“Following the seizure, the Russian Vice Admiral [Pinchuk] personally arrived at the temporarily occupied Snake Island. He interrogated the ship’s captain, attempting to uncover potential ties between the crew and the Ukrainian military or the Security Service of Ukraine. Despite knowing that the ‘Sapfir’ was on a humanitarian mission, he did not end the detention of the civilians,” law enforcement officials reported.

The “Sapfir” vessel. Photo credit: Ministry of Infrastructure

Following the capture, Russian forces subjected the prisoners to violence, including conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Sergey Gnipov, the head of Pre-trial Detention Center No. 2 in Russia’s Belgorod region, has received a notice of suspicion in absentia for these crimes.

The prisoners were eventually returned between March and May 2022. In recognition of the operation’s “success,” the Russian leadership promoted Pinchuk to Admiral and appointed him Commander of the Black Sea Fleet.

If found guilty by the court, Pinchuk, Pereverzev, and Stavytskyi face 8 to 12 years of imprisonment.

To provide background, last year the Military Ombudsman called for the recovery of the “Sloviansk” and “Stanislav” boats, which were sunk by Russia in 2022. The “Sloviansk” went down following a missile strike two kilometers from the shore near the Kinburn and Tendra Spits, while the “Stanislav” was lost near Snake Island. Following the Russian missile strikes, some of the sailors were successfully rescued; however, the fate of at least 16 people remains unknown to this day.

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