“They never denied the possibility of returning to the Ukrainian side the vessels that took part in the provocation organized in November 2018 by the previous Kiev leadership in the Kerch Strait region,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement to Telegram.
It is also noted that in June the Foreign Ministry informed the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow "about the opportunities available under Russian law that Kiev could use to free sailors and ships."
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry explained that the transfer to Ukraine of detained ships is possible with a "guarantee of safety" of the ships as material evidence.
Earlier, the FSB Border Agency for Crimea reported that the transfer of ships to the representatives of Kiev will be held on Monday, November 18.
The border service added that Ukrainian vessels are already being towed from the port of Kerch to the agreed place of transfer.
Three Ukrainian warships along with 24 sailors were detained in November 2018 for violating the Russian border in the Kerch Strait.
In September, the sailors were transferred to the Ukrainian side as part of the exchange procedure between Moscow and Kiev.