DISINFO: UK destroyer's passage near Crimea violated international law
SUMMARY
The 23 June incident involving the passage of HMS Defender, a Royal Navy destroyer, through Russian territorial waters near Crimea was a provocation and an instance of blatant disregard for international law.
RESPONSE
The claim advances recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives regarding Crimea and alleged violations of international law on the part of the West.
The crew of HMS Defender maneuvered the vessel in strict observance of international protocol. By passing near Crimea, the Defender was exercising the right of innocent passage, as laid down in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Articles 17-19 of the Convention allow for passage through another state's territorial sea, provided it is "continuous and expeditious" and "not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State" (pp. 30-1).
Innocent passage is one of several qualifications on the absolute sovereignty of a coastal state over its territorial waters. This means that a vessel exercising this right within the meaning of the Convention does not need to seek permission of the coastal state. This, according to a leading maritime law scholar, "makes it irrelevant to which state the territory in question belongs".
See this article by POLYGRAPH.info for additional debunking and earlier examples of Moscow's misleading coverage of maritime incidents in the Black Sea.