Russia lost to Ukraine in court over the status of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait
Kyiv • UNN
The tribunal confirmed Ukraine's status as a coastal state in the Sea of Azov. Russia's actions during the construction of the bridge were recognized as a violation of international law.
The Arbitral Tribunal has confirmed that Ukraine maintains its status as a coastal state in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait, and that the actions of the Russian Federation in these waters and during the construction of infrastructure facilities violate international law and obligations regarding the protection of the marine environment. This is stated in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regarding the relevant decision of the tribunal in the case of Ukraine v. the Russian Federation, UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that in the final award, the Arbitral Tribunal did not find that the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait are a so-called "Russian lake"; instead, it confirmed their status as internal waters of two states – Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
Ukraine remains a coastal state in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait and retains all sovereign rights endowed to it by international law, and no illegal unilateral actions by Russia after 2022 have affected this,
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They emphasized that, as the tribunal separately established, the Russian Federation violated its obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea by failing to conduct a proper environmental impact assessment during the construction of the so-called bridge, the laying of underwater power cables, and a gas pipeline. Russia also failed to ensure proper notification and publication of the results of such an assessment, which is a violation of obligations in the field of marine environment protection.
"The decision of the Arbitral Tribunal is another confirmation that the Russian Federation systematically disregards the norms of international law, and its attempts to impose the consequences of criminal aggression on the world as a 'new reality' do not and will not have international legal recognition," the foreign ministry concluded.
Context
In August 2025, Russia withdrew from the arbitration process initiated by Ukraine over the seizure of ships in the Kerch Strait in 2018. The Russian Federation claims "gross procedural violations" and an "illegitimate composition" of the tribunal.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called this step an attempt to evade international legal responsibility and confirmed that the case will continue until a just conclusion.