MOSCOW, January 7 (RAPSI, Vladimir Yaduta) - The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration announced on Wednesday about proceedings commenced by Ukrainian billionaire Igor Kolomoisky against Russia over an airport in the breakaway region of Crimea.

The legal action was brought by Kolomoisky and Aeroport Belbek LLC  on January 9, 2015.

The claimants allege that they were deprived of their property, contractual rights to operate a passenger terminal for commercial flights at the Belbek International Airport as a result of measures taken by Russia, the court said in a press release.

Russia so far has filed two letters with the court raising objection to its jurisdiction and the admissibility of the claims.

On  October 30, 2015, the court ordered that the proceedings would continue notwithstanding Russia’s failure to answer to the claims.

Hearing dates for the preliminary procedure have yet to be fixed, according to the court.

In the meantime, Russian authorities brought criminal charges against dozens of individuals, including Kolomoisky and Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, on suspicion of the "organized murder" of civilians in eastern Ukraine. Kolomoisky and Avakov are accused of using of prohibited means and methods of warfare, as well as the abduction of journalists. Russian courts ordered the seizure of a list of assets owned by Kolomoisky in Crimea.