International Court Dismisses Most Ukraine Claims in Kerch Strait Dispute
Permanent Court of Arbitration Ruling on Kerch Strait Dispute
Background of the Case
THE HAGUE, June 15 (Reuters) - An international court found that Russia flouted some sea laws during the construction of the Kerch Strait bridge between mainland Russia and annexed Crimea, but dismissed Ukraine's claims that Moscow was unlawfully trying to keep the strait under its sole control, a ruling published on Monday showed.
• The case at the Hague-based intergovernmental Permanent Court of Arbitration was filed in 2016 after Moscow began building the 19-km (12-mile) Crimea Bridge link to the peninsula.
Court Decision and Findings
Dismissal of Ukraine's Claims
• In a ruling dated April 22 but only announced on Monday, as per the arbitration court's procedures, the court dismissed the majority of Kyiv's claims about Russia's control over the strait on procedural grounds.
Violations by Russia
Environmental Assessment Issues
• The court did find Russia violated some sea laws because it did not carry out proper environmental assessments during the construction of the bridge.
Legal and Financial Outcomes
• The five-judge arbitration panel did not award any reparations and ordered both parties to pay their own legal costs for the procedure that lasted a decade.
Wider Context and Significance
• The case is one of several proceedings at international courts and institutions Kyiv has pressed against Russia linked to the 2014 annexation of Crimea and Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.
• The Kerch Strait bridge is crucial for the supply of fuel, food and other products to Crimea, where the port of Sevastopol is the historic home base of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg in The Hague, Netherlands; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
