{"id":1389585,"date":"2026-06-17T13:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T10:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/?p=1389585"},"modified":"2026-06-16T10:48:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T07:48:15","slug":"arbitration-tribunal-confirms-ukraine-s-rights-in-the-black-sea-sea-of-azov-and-kerch-strait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/arbitration-tribunal-confirms-ukraine-s-rights-in-the-black-sea-sea-of-azov-and-kerch-strait\/","title":{"rendered":"Arbitration Tribunal Confirms Ukraine\u2019s Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait"},"content":{"rendered":"

An international Arbitration Tribunal has confirmed that Ukraine retains its status and sovereign rights as a coastal state in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait, rejecting Russian attempts to alter the legal status of these waters through unilateral actions, UATV English <\/a>reports.<\/p>\n

The ruling was highlighted by Ukraine\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement<\/a> commenting on the Tribunal\u2019s decision in the case concerning the rights of a coastal state in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait (Ukraine v. the Russian Federation).<\/p>\n

According to the ministry, the Arbitration Tribunal issued its final decision on the merits of the case on April 22, 2026. The proceedings were initiated by Ukraine on September 14, 2016, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).<\/p>\n

The Foreign Ministry emphasized that the Tribunal rejected the notion that the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait could be regarded as exclusively Russian waters.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn its final decision, the Arbitration Tribunal did not recognize the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait as a so-called \u2018Russian lake.\u2019 Instead, it confirmed their status as internal waters shared by two states\u2014Ukraine and the Russian Federation,\u201d the ministry stated.<\/p>\n

The ruling affirms that Ukraine continues to possess all rights granted to it under international maritime law as a coastal state in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait. The Tribunal further concluded that Russia\u2019s actions following the full-scale invasion in 2022 have not altered Ukraine\u2019s legal status or sovereign rights in these maritime areas.<\/p>\n

The court also found that Russia violated obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in connection with infrastructure projects carried out in the region.<\/p>\n

According to the decision, Russia failed to conduct proper environmental impact assessments during the construction of the Kerch Bridge, the installation of underwater power cables, and the laying of a gas pipeline. The Tribunal determined that Moscow also failed to adequately notify interested parties and publish the results of environmental assessments, violating international obligations related to the protection of the marine environment.<\/p>\n

Ukraine\u2019s Foreign Ministry described the ruling as another significant confirmation of Russia\u2019s disregard for international law.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe decision once again demonstrates that the Russian Federation systematically violates international legal norms, while its attempts to impose the consequences of its aggression as a \u2018new reality\u2019 have no international legal recognition and will not receive such recognition,\u201d the ministry said.<\/p>\n

The case was launched by Ukraine in 2016 to defend its rights in maritime zones adjacent to occupied Crimea. Kyiv argued that Russia had unlawfully interfered with Ukraine\u2019s rights to maritime resources, navigation, and environmental protection in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait.<\/p>\n

The Tribunal\u2019s ruling represents one of the most significant international legal decisions concerning maritime rights and jurisdiction in waters affected by Russia\u2019s occupation of Crimea and its broader aggression against Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Read also:<\/strong> Historic step forward: MEPs welcome the opening of the first accession negotiation cluster with Ukraine<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An international Arbitration Tribunal has confirmed that Ukraine retains its status and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":1389590,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,49,36415,55],"tags":[76,78],"sources":[],"class_list":["post-1389585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-news-en","category-11473-news-en","category-ukraine-en","tag-glavnoe-en","tag-homepage-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nArbitration Tribunal Confirms Ukraine\u2019s Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait - Freedom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/arbitration-tribunal-confirms-ukraine-s-rights-in-the-black-sea-sea-of-azov-and-kerch-strait\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Arbitration Tribunal Confirms Ukraine\u2019s Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait - 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