Ukraine has called for an international tribunal to order Russia to dismantle the Kerch bridge or the “Crimea bridge,” connecting the temporarily occupied peninsula with mainland Russia, as part of efforts to restore free navigation across the Kerch Strait. The request was made during oral hearings at the Arbitration Tribunal in The Hague, Ukrinform reported on 4 October.

Oksana Zolotariova, Deputy Agent of Ukraine, emphasized in her final speech that dismantling the bridge is “the only way to restore passage for ships from all countries that have used the strait in the past and ships that will use the strait in the future.“

Russia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Zolotariova stated,

“Russia illegally built this bridge, and now it must remove it to ensure navigation through the Kerch Strait in accordance with international law. Russia should do this in accordance with other UNCLOS obligations to protect the marine environment and underwater cultural heritage.”

Zolotariova stressed that merely telling Russia it is violating international law is insufficient. She urged the tribunal to order Russia to cease its illegal actions, provide guarantees against future violations, and eliminate the consequences of its unlawful activities. This includes returning and revoking registration of illegally seized Ukrainian drilling rigs in the Black Sea.

Furthermore, Ukraine requested that Russia be ordered to conduct appropriate research on the environmental impact of its construction projects in the Kerch Strait, take measures to eliminate environmental damage, and study ongoing environmental risks.

• The hearings, which began on 23 September 2024, are part of Ukraine’s claim against Russia for violation of coastal state rights under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The proceedings are scheduled to conclude on 5 October 2024.
• In May 2017, an arbitration tribunal was established to consider the dispute between Ukraine and Russia under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Ukraine submitted a memorandum of evidence regarding Russia’s violations of Ukraine’s sovereign rights in the Black and Azov Seas and the Kerch Strait to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on 19 February 2018.
• Russia subsequently filed objections to the International Tribunal’s jurisdiction to consider Ukraine’s claim.

Related:

• Hague tribunal begins hearings on Ukraine’s Black and Azov seas dispute with Russia
• RFE/RL: Russia ramps up Kerch Bridge protection with massive concrete piles
• ISW: Russia began transporting fuel across the railway of the Kerch bridge again
• Ukrainian Navy confirms Kerch Strait’s last Russian ferry destruction, implying Neptune missile use
• British Defense Ministry: Russia fortifies Crimean bridge with barges to fend off Ukrainian attacks
• Media: Two Russian Kerch strait ferries damaged in last night’s attack