Russia holds ground against UN ruling on Kerch Strait

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia will continue to defend its position on its seizure of Ukrainian navy vessels and personnel in the Kerch Strait against a UN ruling for their release, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Moscow does not consider the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to be applicable to a Russian-Ukrainian confrontation last November in the Kerch Strait, Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Russia had seized two Ukrainian navy ships and a navy tugboat along with 24 crew members along the strait on the eastern point of the Crimean peninsula, which Russia claims as its own.

"In the case of the Kerch Strait, the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea is not applicable, our Foreign ministry has already explained this in detail. The Russian side, of course, will continue to consistently defend its point of view in this story," he said.

Last week, the UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled that Russia should release 24 Ukrainian seamen and transfer the three confiscated vessels back to Ukraine. The Tribunal called on both parties to avoid steps that could further aggravate the situation.

In addition, it ruled that Moscow and Kiev should provide the court with reports on the incident in the Kerch Strait by 25 June.