Ukraine will continue to participate in the case of the capture of sailors in the Kerch Strait, despite Russiaʼs statement on withdrawal

Despite the fact that Russia announced its withdrawal from international arbitration in the case of the seizure of Ukrainian warships and sailors in the Kerch Strait in 2018, Ukraine will continue to present its positions.

This is stated in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

They said that on August 21, they received a letter from the Russian agent from the arbitration tribunal established in the Ukraine vs. Russia case regarding the formal withdrawal from the case at the final stage, as well as the recognition of all future decisions of the tribunal as null and void.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers this behavior of Russia as another attempt to avoid international legal responsibility for violating international law, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Ukrainian ministry emphasized that the formal withdrawal of the Russian Federation does not mean the end of the proceedings. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to present Ukraineʼs position in this case.

"Justice for all victims and survivors of Russiaʼs numerous violations of international law and ensuring reparation for harm remains our priority," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.

They added that Moscow can deny its involvement as much as it wants, declare non-recognition of the decisions of international courts, lie in the media, and try to shift the blame to someone else, but "justice and punishment are inevitable".

• On November 25, 2018, Russian ships attacked the Ukrainian tugboat “Yany Kapu” and the artillery boats Nikopol and Berdyansk in the Kerch Strait. During the attack, the Russians opened fire, injuring several sailors. They were tried in Russia for more than 9 months for violating the Russian border.
• On September 7, 2019, as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, all 24 sailors returned to Ukraine. On November 20, 2019, the boats Berdyansk and Nikopol, as well as the tugboat “Yany Kapu”, captured by the Russians, arrived in the port of Ochakiv.
• The International Court of Arbitration began hearings in the Ukraine vs. Russia case on October 11, 2021. On August 21, 2025, Russia reported its withdrawal from international arbitration.

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