Ukraine insists on punishing Russia for using mines in the Black Sea
Ukraine insists on bringing Russia to international responsibility for the use of sea mines as weapons of indiscriminate action, which uncontrollably expands the Black Sea.
This is the answer in statement of the Ministry of UkraineUkrinform reports.
In fact, the information indicated that since the beginning of the large-scale aggressive war against Ukraine, Russia has been intensifying the illegal activities of its naval forces in the Black Sea.
“Apart from capturing and destroying civilian ships, bombing the territory of Ukraine from the sea, Russia has invented a new method of piracy, which is the use of sea mines as uncontrolled drifting ammunition. It was the drifting mines that were discovered on March 26-28, 2022, off the coast of Turkey and Romania, ”the Foreign Ministry said.
It is noted that according to the results of the identification it was established that these are naval mines, which as of the beginning of 2022 were not registered with the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“These mines were seized by the Russian armed forces in 2014 during the military invasion and temporary occupation of the Ukrainian city of Sevastopol by Russia. Therefore, Russia, using naval mines seized in 2014, deliberately provokes and discredits Ukraine in front of international partners, “the statement said.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by such actions the state seeks to hide its illegal activities in the Black Sea, which contradicts the norms of international maritime and humanitarian law, and to evade responsibility for military principles and piracy.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasizes that Russia’s deliberate use of drifting mines turns them into de facto weapons of indiscriminate action, which threatens, above all, civilian shipping and human life at sea in the entire waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. but also the Kerch and Black Sea straits.
Responsibility for the use of drifting naval changes, as well as for the unpredictable consequences of their application to the Russian Federation and its navy, said in the Foreign Ministry.
“Ukraine insists on bringing Russia to international responsibility for illegal actions in the Black Sea, war crimes and, in particular, the use of sea mines as weapons of indiscriminate action, which uncontrollably expands the Black Sea,” the Foreign Ministry said. Russia, in compliance with its international relations, notified the International Maritime Organization, including during an extraordinary session and within the IMO Legal Committee, as well as international channel partners of the International Automated Maritime Navigation System (NAVTEX).
Russia has reportedly replaced the recommended sea routes from Odessa to Odessa and said it is a Ukrainian mine.
Drifting sea mines in the Black Sea have already been discovered, in particular, by Turkey and Romania.