Today, on December 3, 2018, at the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) the delegation of Ukraine expressed its strong protest to the Russian Federation in connection with the armed attack and capture of the three Ukrainian Navy ships as well as capturing of members of their crews.

Earlier, Volodymyr Omelyan, the Minister of Infrastructure stated about the blockade by the Russian Federation, Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov - Berdyansk and Mariupol for the entering and leaving of vessels. He also called on the world community to respond to violations of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and bilateral Ukrainian-Russian agreements.

The Ukrainian side condemned the excessive stopping and inspection of commercial vessels, heading to Ukrainian ports, in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as the Ukraine-Russia bilateral agreements. Delegations of 34 IMO Member States, including Australia, Canada, France, Georgia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, have supported the position of Ukraine and condemned yet another act of armed aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.