Ukraine and the international community have never recognized Russia's law about invalidating Ukrainian licenses for mineral deposits in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, Ukraine's Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Ostap Semerak has said.

"This decision demonstrates once again that Russian officials do not respect the sovereign status of Ukraine and what belongs to its people. But Ukraine has no intention of abiding by the decision," the minister said in a statement posted to the ministry's website on Wednesday.

Semerak said currently in Ukraine there are 131 permits for mining deposits granted by Ukraine's government.

The minister said Ukraine retains the right to the deposits according to international courts. In 2016, Ukraine initiated a case against Russia for violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: Kyiv is ready to demonstrate in arbitration that Russia is violating Ukraine's sovereign right to use guaranteed rights in its own marine areas and the continental shelf in sea zones near Crimea, including the right to natural resources of the continental shelf.

"The case was initiated by a number of Ukrainian companies, including national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy, for compensation for losses resulting from the seizure of Ukraine's natural resources," the minister said, adding that Ukraine will continue to employ this strategy.

As earlier reported, Russia recently announced that a new law would take effect recognizing invalid the licenses issued by Ukraine before the annexation by Russia of Crimea in March 2014 for mineral deposits in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.