Ukraine believes it was illegally built by Russia and demands its destruction to “enable passage through the Kerch Strait, in accordance with international law.”
Ukraine demanded Thursday from the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) the dismantling of the Kerch Bridge by Russia, during its closing declaration linked to the dispute over access to the Sea of Azov. The two countries began clashing over access to the sea surrounding Crimea on September 23 before the world’s oldest arbitration court, based in The Hague. “The Tribunal must order Russia to dismantle and remove the so-called Kerch Bridge,” said Oksana Zolotaryova, director of international law at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
Since September 2016, kyiv has accused Moscow of deliberately obstructing access to the Sea of Azov, notably through the construction of the Kerch Bridge – also known as the Crimean Bridge. Ukraine maintains that Russia built the bridge so low that international ships cannot pass through the strategic strait, thereby hampering trade. “It is Russia that illegally built this bridge and must now dismantle it to allow passage through the Kerch Strait, in accordance with international law,” added Ms. Zolotaryova.
Russia’s lawyer, Gennady Kuzmin, said in September that the kyiv case was “completely baseless and hopeless”. After the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the disputed seas are considered internal waters and therefore fall outside the scope of international navigation laws, he added.
According to Maître Kouzmine, the Kerch bridge was built to remedy what he describes as “blocking” of Crimea by Ukraine. Russia will present its closing statement on Saturday. The CPA, a jurisdiction created in 1899, often takes months, or even years, to render a decision.
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