A ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague whereby Russia is to pay compensation for seizing the ship, the Arctic Sunrise, encourages illegal activity, Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Department, Artyom Kozhin, told the TASS news agency.

"The Russian Federation did not participate in the arbitration hearings as it continues to maintain that the arbitration court has no jurisdiction in this case," he said.

Mr. Kozhin said that the ruling "is not comprehensive and ignores the widespread international practice of countering irresponsible actions at sea, including with regard to potentially dangerous and sophisticated technological facilities."

"Regrettably, by its rulings, the Court of Arbitration actually encourages purposeful illegal actions in exclusive economic areas of countries and on their continental shelf, justifying them as so-called "peaceful protest," Mr. Kozhin pointed out.

 His comment came as a response to a July 18 ruling by an international arbitration panel, established as part of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, whereby Russia must pay EUR 5.4 million for seizing Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise vessel and arresting its crew in 2013.

As TASS reported, the Greenpeace vessel approached Russia's Prirazlomnaya oil rig on September 18, 2013. Greenpeace activists on the Arctic Sunrise tried to make their way onto the oil rig, but were detained by border control officers after which the ship was towed to Murmansk. The 30 crew members, including four Russians, were arrested. In late November 2013, they were released on bail, and later benefited from an amnesty law marking 20 years of the Russian Constitution.