Ukraine accused Russia of attempting to illegally seize control of the strategic Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait as hearings began Monday in an international arbitration case.
The proceedings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration are part of ongoing legal disputes between Kyiv and Moscow stemming from Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian representative Anton Korynevych told arbitrators, “Russia wants to take the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait for itself, and so it has built a great gate at the entrance to keep international shipping out while allowing small Russian river vessels in.”
Korynevych referred to the $3.5-billion, 19-kilometer (12-mile) bridge constructed by Russia across the Kerch Strait following the Crimea annexation. The bridge, which connects the Black and Azov seas, is crucial for Russia’s military operations in southern Ukraine.
“The bridge is unlawful and it must come down,” Korynevych stated.
Ukraine filed the case in 2016, accusing Russia of violating a U.N. maritime treaty by constructing the bridge, restricting Ukrainian fishing access, damaging the environment, and looting underwater archaeological sites. Kyiv seeks unspecified compensation.
Russia denies the arbitration court’s jurisdiction. Russian Agent Gennady Kuzmin argued that the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait are “internal waters” not governed by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“Ukraine’s accusations in this case are, of course, completely groundless and hopeless,” Kuzmin told the panel.
The hearings will continue behind closed doors, with a final ruling potentially taking years.
