Ukraine and Russia faced off on Monday at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague regarding a long-standing dispute over access to the Sea of Azov, located east of Crimea.
Impedes International Navigation
Ukraine is calling for the demolition of the Kerch Bridge, which it considers an illegal obstruction to navigation.
In a complaint filed in September 2016, Ukraine accused Russia of deliberately hindering access to the Sea of Azov.
Ukrainian attorney Anton Korinevici argued that Russia has no right to rewrite maritime laws. He insisted that the Kerch Bridge, built by Russia to link annexed Crimea to the mainland, impedes international navigation, thus necessitating its demolition, according to Digi24.
“Russia now regards the Kerch Strait, the Sea of Azov, and possibly parts of the Black Sea as its territorial waters,” Korinevici stated.
Exempt From International Navigation Laws
He emphasized that Russia’s actions are an attempt to extend its imperial reach into the 21st century. Currently, all internationally recognized Ukrainian territories with access to the Sea of Azov are under Russian military control.
Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion launched in February 2022, the Russian military has occupied a significant stretch of territory connecting Russia to Crimea, effectively giving Russia control over the entire Sea of Azov.
On the other hand, Russian attorney Ghenadi Kuzmin dismissed Ukraine’s claims as baseless, asserting that after the annexation of Crimea, Russia considers the Sea of Azov part of its internal waters, thus exempting it from international navigation laws.
Russia has previously contested the jurisdiction of the arbitration court regarding Crimea’s sovereignty, and the court has requested additional documentation from Ukraine. A final verdict from this international tribunal could take months or even years.
