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KERCH STRAIT PROVOCATION

Kremlin vows to continue defending Moscow's position on Kerch Strait

On May 25, the United Nations maritime tribunal ruled that Russia should release 24 Ukrainian sailors and hand the three naval vessels back

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. Russia believes the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea cannot be applicable in the situation around the Kerch Strait and will continue consistently defending its position on this issue, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

KERCH STRAIT PROVOCATION

"In case with the Kerch Strait, the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea cannot be applied, our Foreign Ministry has clarified this in detail. Russia will certainly continue consistently defending its viewpoint on this story," Peskov said.

Three Ukrainian warships illegally entered Russia’s territorial waters in the Kerch Strait on November 25, 2018. Despite the repeated warnings and demands to stop, the Ukrainian vessels continued their way, forcing Russia to use weapons. Three Ukrainian servicemen were lightly wounded. The vessels were detained and 24 Ukrainian sailors were arrested.

On May 25, the United Nations maritime tribunal ruled that Russia must release 24 Ukrainian sailors and hand the three naval vessels back. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea urged the two sides to "refrain from taking any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute." Besides, the maritime court called on Moscow and Kiev to report to the tribunal back on their compliance over the Kerch Strait incident by June 25.

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