Ukraine continues to urge Russia to release sailors
(Baonghean.vn) - On May 10, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal called on Russia to immediately release Ukrainian sailors detained by Moscow since Ukrainian naval vessels were seized off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula last November.
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| Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia. Photo: TASS |
The diplomatic incident has escalated tensions between the two neighboring countries, which have been embroiled in conflict for the past five years.
Speaking at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg, Germany, Deputy Foreign Minister Zerkal called for the immediate release of the 24 sailors detained in Moscow. Ms. Zerkal assessed that the arrest of the Ukrainian sailors "is clearly an example of Russia's complete violation of international law".
"Since the arrest, Ukraine has been working urgently to resolve this issue. We have given Russia many opportunities to resolve the issue through diplomatic means," the Ukrainian diplomat said.
Russia did not send a representative to the hearing in Hamburg because it does not recognize the court's jurisdiction. Deputy Foreign Minister Zerkal called the absence "regrettable".
Outgoing Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared the sailors "prisoners of war" and described the capture as "clear evidence of Russia's continued disrespect for human rights".
"We hope that in the coming weeks the court will force Russia to release the sailors and the Ukrainian ships, and that their actions will be considered illegal," Poroshenko said in a statement last month. "Russia still has the opportunity to release our sailors and ships without waiting for the Kremlin's official recognition that it committed an international crime."
The Ukrainian sailors face up to six years in prison for illegally entering the Russian border, according to lawyers. The seizure of the Ukrainian vessels was the most dangerous direct confrontation between the two post-Soviet neighbors in years.
