Ukrainian Ambassador in court in The Hague: Kerch bridge is illegal and must be dismantled

In an effort to take possession of the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait, Russia has built a large gate at their entrance to restrict international shipping, allowing mostly its small riverboats to pass through.

This was stated by Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Anton Korynevych during a speech in court in The Hague, where Ukraine's position was presented at oral hearings at the Arbitration Tribunal in the case concerning the rights of Ukraine as a coastal state in the Black and Azov Seas and in the Kerch Strait (Ukraine v. Russia), the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

The post says that the case, which was filed by Ukraine in 2016, concerns Russia's violation of the fundamental principles of the law of the sea - the right of transit passage, freedom of navigation, and the obligation to protect the underwater environment and underwater cultural heritage.

"Russia now considers the Kerch Strait, the Sea of Azov and possibly even parts of the Black Sea as its own waters. Russia wants these waters to be seen as part of its 21st century empire. And although you will hear Russian experts say that the Sea of Azov is like a lake or a river, Ukraine strongly rejects these claims, and this Tribunal should reject them as well. The Sea of Azov is not a lake or a small river delta. It is more than 37,000 square kilometers of semi-enclosed sea. The bridge is illegal and must be dismantled. The passage through the Kerch Strait should be similar to what it was before this illegal obstruction of navigation," the ambassador said.

Korynevych emphasized that, unlike Russia, Ukraine has moved on from the past. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine, as an independent state, has considered UNCLOS to be the basis for relations in the maritime sphere.

Володимир Шкаєв