Ukraine demands that Russia bring back rigs moved in Black Sea
KYIV. Dec 16 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has dubbed Russia's relocation of two jack-up rigs and the Tavrida oil platform in the Black Sea as "another episode of theft of assets and natural resources" and demanded that the property be given back to Ukraine.
"The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry urges the Russian Federation to demonstrate responsibility under international law, and demands that the Russian Federation immediately take every possible practical measure to stop the actions violating international law, to provide appropriate assurances and guarantees that [such actions] will not be repeated in the future, and to immediately return the Ukrainian property for its use and ownership. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reserves the right to demand that the Russian side compensate for the damage done by its actions, which exhibit every sign of violation of international law under the content of the convention," the ministry said in the statement posted on Wednesday.
This is another Russian violation of Ukraine's sovereign rights of a littoral state to the prospecting and development of natural resources in its territorial sea and the continental shelf guaranteed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
"We deem Russia's audacious relocation in the Black Sea of two jack-up rigs, V-312 and V-319, and the Tavrida oil platform, which are property of Ukraine, to be another episode of large-scale theft of assets and natural resources conducted by the aggressor state during the occupation of a part of the Ukrainian sovereign territory - the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. This action has added to the list of evidence of Russian behavior as an invader, and its neglect of international law, which also proves that Russia violates its obligations of an occupant state, for instance, in terms of providing the inviolability of property rights," the ministry said.
The ministry described the aforementioned actions of Russia as a violation of international law aimed at a systematic breach of the Ukrainian sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over internal waters, the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone, and the continental shelf in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Last Tuesday, the Ukrainian State Border Service reported that the Crimean company, Chernomorneftegaz, had illegally installed the Tavrida oil platform on the Odesa gas field from where two rigs had been moved towards the Crimean coast earlier. The Russian Federal Security Service's Border Service sent a patrol ship to that area of the Black Sea to ensure economic and other lawful interests of Russia through a patrolling mission.
On November 24, Chernomorneftegaz moved two rigs, V-312 and V-319, with a total value exceeding 25 billion rubles, from the Odesa gas field to Russian territorial waters. Chernomorneftegaz executives said that was done on the orders from Crimea head Sergei Aksyonov because of "an increased terrorist threat." Aksyonov said the reason for moving the rigs was purely technical: the rigs accomplished their work on the Odesa field and were ready to be moved to the Gordiyevich block.
Crimea joined Russia after a local referendum held in March 2014. Chernomorneftegaz, 100% of whose stock originally belonged by Ukraine's Naftogaz, became Crimean property.
