Crimea asks West to investigate Ukraine's provocations in Kerch Strait

Two Russian fighter jets were dispatched to the area of ​​the collision on the morning of November 26, 2018. A large cargo ship was placed under the bridge in the Kerch Strait, blocking the entrance to the Sea of ​​Azov. Photo: Reuters.

Alexander Molokhov, head of the International Legal Affairs Committee of the Crimean permanent mission to Russia, proposed inviting independent Western experts to participate in the investigation into the provocation of the Ukrainian military in the Kerch Strait.

"In fact, even Kiev realized that in the Kerch Strait, the Ukrainian Navy forces had planned a military provocation. Therefore, this issue should be discussed widely. We propose to organize an investigation as an extended "court", with the participation of independent, well-known, authoritative experts from the West," Molokhov said.

According to Mr. Molokhov, representatives of the tribunal can visit the Kerch Strait, conduct an inspection of the scene of the incident, conduct investigative experiments and assess the transparency of the Russian naval border guards.

"All this will establish objective truth, if Ukraine and the West are really interested, and will also become a favorable basis for Russia when participating in the lawsuit with Ukraine at the Hamburg Court for the Law of the Sea," Molokhov said.

On November 25, 2018, three Ukrainian Navy ships violated the border with Russia, entered Russia's temporarily closed territorial waters and moved from the Black Sea, near Crimea to the Kerch Strait.

The Russian Federal Security Service was forced to use force because the ships had violated Russian territorial waters and attempted to commit illegal acts.

On September 7, 2019, Russia and Ukraine conducted a 35-for-35 prisoner exchange, in which 24 Ukrainian sailors captured in the incident returned home.