Over the previous year, 26 cargo ships have entered the ports of the occupied Crimea and thus violated Ukraine’s maritime law.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry for Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, these vessels entered the ports of Kerch, Sevastopol, and Feodosia 82 times; 21 ships flew the Russian flag, four came from Togo, Sierra Leone, and Palau.
Under the 2014 decree of the Ukrainian government, the seaports of Crimea, located in Yevpatoriya, Kerch, Sevastopol, Feodosia, and Yalta are closed for entrance. Any ship that flies foreign flags trying to enter seaports and terminals in Crimea will be considered a violator of the international maritime law. Such actions will also be considered harmful to Ukraine’s sovereignty and will result in criminal responsibility for ship owners and crew captains.
