A Clash of Opinions.

Why Is the State Bureau of Investigations Questioning Sailors Released from Russian Captivity?

Boris Babin, a legal advisor at Barristers, JSC, and an expert in international maritime law, believes that the State Bureau of Investigations effectively has no other choice: the circumstances surrounding the Russian seizure of Ukrainian ships give reason to believe that the crews acted contrary to their regulations.

First, in the context of a military confrontation, the ships were obligated to return fire (unless they had an order explicitly prohibiting it).

Second, if resistance was impossible, the crews were obligated to scuttle the ships.

Third, in the event of a threat of capture, classified documents must be destroyed.

None of this was done, and the official investigation is simply obligated to determine why. At the same time, public opinion in Ukraine is undoubtedly not on the side of the State Bureau of Investigation (GBR), but on the side of the sailors, who behaved with the utmost dignity while in Russian captivity.

How, then, can the demands of the law be reconciled with the demands of society?

In the program “Clash of Opinions,” we will raise issues that are painful for society—issues for which there are no clear-cut answers—and, moreover, issues that society finds extremely uncomfortable to address.