Judge Jin-Hyun Paik of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the German port city of Hamburg was scheduled to announce its decision at noon (1000 GMT). Kiev on May 10 asked the international tribunal to order Russia to release the sailors and the Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yani Kapu vessels. Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Kremlin's International Relations Committee, said recently on Sputnik Radio that "Russia has not violated international law; Russia has reacted to an aggression against it." - Stalemate -Earlier this month Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Olena Zerkal, addressing the tribunal, described the sailors' detention as "an additional illustration of Russia's continued disrespect for international law". Russia has argued that the rights of the Ukrainian sailors have been strictly observed, including access to legal aid and medical attention.

Source: Bangkok Post May 25, 2019 03:45 UTC