The court recovered 152.6 billion rubles from Ukraine in a lawsuit regarding the water blockade of Crimea

The Arbitration Court of Crimea satisfied the claim of the State Council of the republic for compensation for damage caused by Ukraine due to the water blockade of the peninsula. Chairman of the State Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov talks about this reported in your Telegram channel.

The court decided to recover 152.6 billion rubles from Ukraine in favor of the Crimean budget.

“For us, the legal assessment of Ukraine’s criminal actions directed against Crimea and Crimean residents is a significant, symbolic event. Ahead is the calculation of damage as a result of the transport, energy, financial, and food blockades of Crimea. The work is already underway,” Konstantinov said.

Lawsuit was registered court on July 3. A preliminary hearing in the case took place on July 31. On September 13, the court decided to consider the claim behind closed doors due to strategic information about the North Crimean Canal.

Authorities have also previously announced plans to prepare claims for damage to private businesses and residents. In the State Council of Crimea appreciated the amount of compensation that Crimean enterprises will demand from Ukraine for the water blockade is more than 3 trillion rubles. Such a claim will be prepared by the end of the year, they specified.

Konstantinov also said that the Crimean authorities demand that Ukraine pay each local resident 200,000 rubles. According to preliminary estimates, the amount of the claim is 3.066 trillion rubles.

Until 2014, Crimea received up to 85% of fresh water from Ukraine via the North Crimean Canal. After the annexation of the peninsula to Russia, Kyiv blocked the canal and water supply began to be provided exclusively by internal reserves, which turned out to be insufficient.

In 2021, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Art. 358 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (ecocide) regarding the water blockade of Crimea by Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, the day the Russian special operation in Ukraine began, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the unblocking of the North Crimean Canal.