It is reported by “Ukrinform”.
Today we heard the position of Russia. As writes “Ukrinform”, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Dmitry Lobach, who represents the position of the Russian Federation in arbitration, said at the court session that Moscow believes that the court in The Hague has no jurisdiction to consider Ukraine’s complaint.
“The demands of the Ukrainian side go beyond the jurisdiction of this international arbitration,” he said.
The hearings are held in a hybrid format, part of the Russian delegation followed the process by video link.
Ukraine will present its position tomorrow, the second round of debates between the parties will take place on October 14 and 15. Only the introductory words of each of the parties are open.
Russia fired on and captured on November 25, 2018 in the Black Sea the boats of the Ukrainian Naval Forces “Berdyansk” and “Nikopol”, as well as the tugboat “Yany Kapu”, which were returning to Odessa after an attempt to pass through the Kerch Strait to the Sea of Azov.
The Russian security forces detained 24 Ukrainian sailors, later they were arrested in the Crimean “courts” and transported to Moscow. To all Ukrainians were charged in illegal crossing of the border of the Russian Federation.
In April 2019, Ukraine notified Russia that it was initiating arbitration in accordance with Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Simultaneously Ukraine filed a complaint against the actions of the Russian Federation to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seaseeking the use of temporary measures against the Russian Federation in order to immediately release the ships and their crew members. May 25, 2019 Hamburg Tribunal ordered Russia to immediately release three detained Ukrainian ships, as well as 24 detained sailors and allow them to return to Ukraine. The decision was adopted by 19 votes, only the judge from the Russian Federation spoke against.
September 7, 2019 between Ukraine and the Russian Federation held an exchange of detainees in the format “35 by 35”. Among those who returned to their homeland there were sailors.
In December, the Shevchenko District Court of Kiev allowed the arrest of Deputy Head of the Border Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation, Head of the Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Gennady Medvedev. In Ukraine he is suspected of organizing the capture three Ukrainian warships.
May 22, 2020 Ukraine submitted a memorandum to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea with explanations in the case of the seizure of ships and sailors. “We are starting a new stage in the fight for justice and countering Russian aggression in international instances,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
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