Liberation of Critical Infrastructure Facilities of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

Abstract

The relevance of this study is conditioned upon the fact that Ukraine is doing and will do everything possible to restore control over the Crimean Peninsula. Therefore, the development of measures for its reintegration is of immense importance today, especially in the field of critical infrastructure. This topic has not yet been covered by Ukrainian scientists and requires analysis and development of corresponding legal mechanisms, which is the purpose of scientific research. The analysis of current Ukrainian legislation and foreign practices (using the methods of analysis, synthesis, and systemic approach) allowed finding several main organizational and legal factors that would contribute to the acceleration of liberation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The study substantiates the need for public monitoring of the natural environment in the temporarily occupied territory, namely: the landscape of the earth’s surface, minerals, water, air, flora and fauna, natural resources of the exclusive (marine) economic zone of Ukraine, the continental shelf and sea waters to record the facts of environmental illegal acts (crimes). Emphasis is placed on the effective application of international cooperation procedures in the field of environmental protection. The study proved the need to create a unified register of damage caused to the Ukrainian state in general and to citizens and legal entities in particular because of the illegal actions of the occupation administrations, which led to contamination and pollution of nature in the temporarily occupied territory. Emphasis is placed on compliance with the international obligations undertaken by Ukraine, related to the implementation of the provisions of international treaties in the field of environmental protection, primarily regarding the problems of preserving the natural environment of the Azov and Black Seas and preventing the spread of chemical or bacteriological weapons in the waters of the Black Sea. The practical significance of this study lies in the developed legal mechanism of measures to improve the water supply system of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea after the complete liberation of the occupied territory.