Ukraine Accuses Russia of Drilling Rig Theft in Black Sea

Drilling rigs and the Tavrida platform located off the coast of Crimea are the property of Ukraine and Kiev has the right to demand compensation, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The Russian Federal Security Service’s Border Control on Tuesday sent a vessel to protect the drilling rigs of the Chernomorneftegaz company on the Black Sea shelf after their operations were interrupted by ships from the Ukrainian Navy’s Border Control.

In the morning of December 15, a ship from the Ukrainian Border Control approached the floating Tavrida platform that belongs to Chernomorneftegaz and demanded information on the makeup of the crew and the goal of the Russian drilling rig in the region.

“We consider the relocation in the Black Sea by the Russian side of two drilling rigs, B-312 and B-319, and the oil drilling platform Tavrida, which are the property of Ukraine, to be yet another episode of large-scale theft of property and natural resources…The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has the right to demand compensation from the Russian side for damage sustained under these actions that have all the signs of international rights violations,” the ministry said in a statement.
  (Sputnik)
16/12/15
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