Rada Establishes February 19, 2014 Date Of Russian Occupation Of Part Of Ukrainian Territory

The Verkhovna Rada on Thursday, April 21, made changes to some laws regarding the regulation of the legal regime in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.

300 parliamentarians voted for the adoption of Bill No. 7270 as a whole with the minimum required 226, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

The bill establishes that the beginning of the temporary occupation of the territories of Ukraine by the Russian Federation is February 19, 2014 - the day of the seizure of certain oil and gas production facilities within the continental shelf of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.

The document provides for amendments to a number of laws of Ukraine, by which:

- the illegality of the temporary occupation of the Russian Federation of the territories of Ukraine is established;

- a conceptual apparatus is defined, in particular, definitions are given to the concepts of "humanitarian corridor," "de-occupation," "collision line," "occupation administration of the Russian Federation," "territory of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation (temporarily occupied territory)," etc.;

- state policy objectives in the temporarily occupied territory are established;

- the directions of protection of the rights and freedoms of the civilian population in the temporarily occupied territories are determined;

- the procedure for entry of persons into and exit from the temporarily occupied territory is specified;

- legal response measures in the temporarily occupied territory are specified;

- the peculiarities of goods movement to/from the temporarily occupied territory are specified;

- other aspects (education, military service) are streamlined in connection with the temporary occupation of certain territories of Ukraine.

It is noted that the document regulates the issues of jurisdiction and the implementation of justice at the temporarily occupied territory.

Also guaranteed is the non-loss of citizenship of Ukraine by persons with compulsory automatic acquisition of citizenship of the Russian Federation. The bill provides that Russia, as an occupier, is entrusted with compensation for material and moral damage caused. Besides, the document guarantees the right of ownership of individuals/legal entities to property and land plots on the temporarily occupied territory, regardless of their registration as internally displaced persons.

Among other things, the document prohibits the restoration of water supply to Crimea until the restoration of the sovereignty of Ukraine, as well as expands the possibilities of obtaining higher and other education at the expense of the state budget for entrantі from the temporarily occupied territory. At the same time, it is established that for the period of temporary occupation, the movement of goods (works, services) from the temporarily occupied territory to another territory of Ukraine and/or from another territory of Ukraine to the temporarily occupied territory is prohibited. Movement of goods, labeling (marking) of which indicates the production of such goods on the temporarily occupied territory, is prohibited, except for things classified as personal items. At the same time, individuals are allowed to transfer across the administrative border to and from the temporarily occupied territory of personal belongings in hand luggage and accompanied luggage.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Rada approved the extension of martial law from 5:30 a.m. on April 25 for 30 days, that is, until May 25.