BERLIN. May 25 (Interfax) - The United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) allows Russia and Ukraine to present their versions of the events in the Kerch Strait before June 25, ITLOS President Jin-Hyun Paik, said reading the Tribunal's ruling.
"Ukraine and the Russian Federation shall each submit to the Tribunal the initial report referred to in Paragraph 121 not later than 25 June 2019," he said.
According to the Paragraph 121 of the ITLOS decision, each party is required to submit to the Tribunal a report and information on compliance with any provisional measures prescribed.
It also may be necessary for the Tribunal to request further information from the parties on the implementation of the provisional measures prescribed.
On Saturday, the Tribunal handed down the ruling in the case of Ukraine, which on April 16, 2019, had sought provisional measures against Russia demanding that it release the Ukrainian sailors and vessels detained in the Kerch Strait in November 2018.
The Tribunal ruled that Russia is to release the sailors and vessels.
On April 16, 2019, Ukraine sought with the ITLOS provisional measures against Russia demanding that it release the Ukrainian sailors and ships detained in the Kerch Strait in November 2018.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on April 16 that it believes that ITLOS lacks the jurisdiction to consider the Kerch incident.
On November 25, 2018, Russian border guards used weapons to stop three Ukrainian naval vessels, the Yany Kapu tug and the Berdyansk and the Nikopol armored gunboats, which were traveling from Odesa to Mariupol in the Kerch Strait. The vessels were escorted to Kerch.
The Ukrainians are charged with "conspiracy by a group of persons or an organized group to illegally cross the border using violence or the threat to use violence." If found guilty, they could face up to six years in prison. In late November, the Ukrainians were escorted to Moscow.