Not 'Russian lake': UN tribunal rules on Ukraine's rights in seas

The Arbitral Tribunal rejected Russia’s claims that the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait are a "Russian lake." It confirmed that they are internal waters shared by two states — Ukraine and Russia.

The ruling also establishes that Ukraine remains a coastal state in these waters and fully retains its sovereign rights. Moscow’s unilateral and unlawful actions since 2022 have had no impact on that status.

Violations during the construction of the Crimean Bridge

The tribunal separately found that Russia violated international obligations during the construction of the bridge across the Kerch Strait, as well as during the laying of underwater power cables and a gas pipeline.

Russia failed to conduct a proper environmental impact assessment for these projects and did not publish the results. According to the tribunal, this constitutes a direct violation of international rules protecting the marine environment.

"The Arbitral Tribunal’s Award is yet another confirmation that the Russian Federation systematically disregards the rules of international law and that its attempts to impose the consequences of its war of aggression on the world as a 'new reality' have no international legal effect and will never receive international legal recognition," Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said.

Ukraine initiated the legal proceedings on September 14, 2016. The lawsuit was prompted by Russia’s violations of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in waters around occupied Crimea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait, which began in 2014.

As previously reported, Russia is preparing to relocate the command of its Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol, with officers already moving with their families to Novorossiysk before receiving formal orders.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces have repeatedly targeted bridges to Crimea. Russia has acknowledged recent attacks but tries to downplay their impact.