KYIV/MOSCOW. April 15 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed resolute protest over Russia's announcement of a partial closure of Black Sea waters in the direction of the Kerch Strait to warships and foreign state vessels under the pretext of conducting military exercises starting next week until October 2021 and demanded that this decision be reversed immediately.
"Such actions by the Russian Federation are another attempt, in violation of the norms and principles of international law, at usurping Ukraine's sovereign rights as a littoral state, because it is Ukraine that has the right to regulate navigation in these parts of the Black Sea," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
It urged international partners to step up politico-diplomatic pressure on Russia to force it to reverse the decision on the partial closure and to stop the escalation in the region of the Azov and Black seas.
"Also, this step constitutes a gross violation of the freedom of navigation guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Under the convention, the Russian Federation may not hinder or inhibit transit passage through the international strait to Azov Sea ports," the statement said.
As it continues to increase its military presence along the border with Ukraine, Russia has also now begun escalating tensions in the maritime zone by redeploying warships from the Caspian Sea and boosting its military potential in the Azov-Black Sea region and, despite the absence of legal grounds, deciding to close these waters to foreign warships, including those of Ukraine, it said.
Russia's behavior "points to it having no intention whatsoever to stop the aggression against Ukraine using military and hybrid methods," the statement said.