Violations against Ukrainian drilling platforms in the Black Sea, seized by the Russian Federation, may strengthen Ukraine`s position in lawsuits against Russia, according to a statement published on the website of the Prosecutor General`s Office of Ukraine.
Military prosecutors recorded the fact of changing the navigation data of drilling platforms owned by Ukraine, who are now illegally used under the Russian flag.
”The officers of the military prosecutor`s office of the Southern region of Ukraine together with the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, representatives of other law enforcement and government agencies on November 30 and December 1 2016 visited the Odesa gas field in the Black Sea,” reads the statement.
”Currently, they are armed military units on them [the drilling platforms],” the PGO says.
Moreover, in violation of the international rules, the management of the drilling platforms to communicate via radio and ignored the demands of Ukrainian border guards.
”Missile ship of the Russian Navy ”Pytliviy”, reg. No. 868, which appeared in the area, has openly declared that it is setting the mode of navigation for other vessels, which is also a violation of the rules of international law of the sea,” the report says.
Also, the Russian military, performing dangerous maneuvers, created a threat to seamanship, failing to observe the rules of the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea of 1972, as noted by the PGO.
”All violations have been recorded in the relevant procedural and other documents, which, among other things, can significantly strengthen the position of Ukraine in the bodies of international jurisdiction in lawsuits against the Russian Federation,” the PGO emphasized.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine held a special naval operation to highlight the situation in the exclusive (maritime) economic zone of Ukraine in the area of the Odesa gas field in the north-western part of the Black Sea.
On December 1, 65 miles south of Odesa, the Coast Guard Ship ”Hryhory Kuropyatnikov” identified two operating jack-up drilling rigs, seized by Russia during the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The crew of the rigs and other individuals, including armed persons, did not respond to repeated requests from Ukrainian border guards. Then, a Russian warship approached the area and in violation of international law of the sea made dangerous maneuvers near the Ukrainian coast guard ship. All violations have been recorded and forwarded to the law enforcement officials and the prosecutor`s office.
See also: Ukraine releases evidence of Russia`s seizure of Ukrainian Black Sea shelf. Video
