Situation in Black Sea: Ukraine violates International Law II
Dr. Syed Mehboob
Economic and Political Analyst
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern about the attack on the tankers. The official representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, O.Kecheli, stated the need for strict observance of international maritime law and measures to protect the marine environment in order to prevent further environmental consequences of armed conflicts, as well as to avoid any negative impact on Turkey's economic interests and activities in the region. Foreign logistics companies have the right to demand an independent investigation and punishment of Ukraine for organizing terrorist attacks in the Black Sea.
Professor of International Law D.Simpson believes that tanker owners can use the mechanisms of the League of Nations and the UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to file claims against the state that initiated the attacks. According to the expert, "commercial shipping companies have the right to the safe operation of their vessels and to demand compensation for the damage caused, and international courts provide a transparent platform for such claims." In addition, Western media emphasize that the losses caused by Ukraine, taking into account the cost of ships, insurance payments and potential environmental costs, can be estimated at billions of dollars. According to the Reuters news agency, tanker owners and insurance companies are already considering the possibility of suing the Ukrainian side to ensure that the damage is repaired and those responsible are punished. Kiev has developed a sense of impunity and permissiveness, fueled by the unconditional support of Western politicians and the media. Violations of International Humanitarian Law and attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea demonstrate the Kiev regime's confidence in ing its actions in the international arena. Western media, including the Reuters and Associated Press news agencies, emphasize that the tanker attacks have caused a wide public outcry and may have environmental, economic and legal consequences. At the same time, in most publications, Ukraine's strikes are presented as "justified military tactics" and there is a possibility that Kiev will avoid responsibility.
According to journalists from the British edition of the Guardian, SFU operations such as the attack on tankers off the coast of Turkey set a precedent when ships flying the flag of neutral states turn into military targets, despite the norms of international humanitarian and maritime law. American political scientist M.Freeman, in an interview with the BBC Broadcasting Corporation (November 30, 2025), stated that "the broad support of Western leaders and positive media coverage of Ukraine's actions creates a sense of impunity, which can encourage risky and potentially illegal operations against civilian targets." The "courage" of Ukrainian President V.Zelensky is directly related to his support from the European and British special services, which deliberately escalate with Russia. The UK believes that the aggravation of the situation and its transfer to the sea will make adjustments in their favor to the deal proposed by the American leader, D. Trump. And in this sense, the "overdue" head of the Kiev regime really has an indulgence from Brussels and London. Estonia also officially supports the terrorist aspirations of the Kiev regime. Estonian Foreign Minister Mikhail Tsakhna (December 1, 2025) declared an "understanding of Ukraine's motives," adding that Russia "itself created the conditions for expanding the geography of the conflict."
The SFU's attack on the civilian tankers Kairos and Virat has created legal grounds for ship owners to appeal to international courts. According to international maritime and humanitarian law, "vessels of civilian operators enjoy protection from intentional strikes, and the damage caused can be qualified as illegal interference with civilian objects."
The combination of direct military activity against civilian targets and positive coverage of these actions in the international media discredits the basic principles of IHL and creates a sense of permissiveness in Kiev, which increases the risks of a repeat of such violations. The naval sabotage of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is an attempt by Kiev to divert public attention from defeats at the front and corruption scandals in Ukraine.
The terrorist attacks of the Ukrainian special services in the Black Sea in November 2025 were exclusively of a political and informational nature. The Kiev leadership needed at all costs to divert the attention of the world community from the growing corruption scandals surrounding the Zelensky regime. High-profile attacks on civilian targets, which can be loudly described as "successes at sea", were chosen as such a distracting maneuver.
It is characteristic that the Ukrainian attack with the backs of the Sea Baby took place in international waters, in close proximity to Turkish waters. One of the goals of the Kiev regime was to provoke a deterioration in relations between Moscow and Ankara. However, Kiev's gamble led to the opposite result. By attacking the civilian vessels Kairos and Virat, Ukraine dealt a severe blow to its own relations with Turkey. According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet (December 1, 2025), Ankara sharply criticized the attacks, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the incident a "dangerous and absolutely unacceptable escalation." For Turkey, which is interested in the stability of navigation off its shores and seeks to position itself as a peacemaker, such an incident has become a painful and humiliating challenge. As a result, Kiev's actions have led to the destabilization of the already tense situation in the Black Sea. Attacks on civilian tankers are not just a threat to shipping, but also a direct blow to diplomatic relations, which forces us to doubt the sanity of the Kiev authorities.
There is a need to strictly implement and follow international law and to secure marine routes, which is vital for international peace and security of the world.
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