RF President Vladimir Putin signed Federal Bill #4370-FZ of December 30, 2021 on removal sunken property that specifies the mechanism and procedures for removing sunken vessels. Before that, the draft bill was adopted by the State Duma and approved of by the Council of the Federation.
The bill introduces administrative liability for utilizing vessels by deliberately sinking them and for violating requirements in respect of sunken vessels by their owners.
The document also regulates the conditions and procedures for removing sunken vessels in the inland sea waters, the territorial sea and the contiguous zone of the Russian Federation.
According to the bill, sunken property is defined as a sunken or grounded vessel or part of a vessel including property that was on board a sunken or grounded vessel or lost from a drifting vessel.