The Arbitration Tribunal confirmed that Ukraine retains its status as a coastal state in the Black and Azov Seas and the Kerch Strait, and that the Russian Federation’s actions in these waters and during the construction of infrastructure facilities violate international law and obligations regarding the protection of the marine environment.
This is stated in a comment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regarding the decision of the Arbitral Tribunal 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), as reported by Ukrinform.
The Foreign Ministry noted that on April 22, 2026, the Arbitration Tribunal issued a decision on the merits in the case of Ukraine v. the Russian Federation regarding the rights of a coastal state in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait, which was initiated by Ukraine on September 14, 2016.
“In its final decision, the Arbitration Tribunal did not establish that the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait are a so-called ‘Russian lake,’ but instead confirmed their status as the internal waters of two states—Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Ukraine remains a coastal state in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait and retains all sovereign rights granted to it under international law, and no unlawful unilateral actions by Russia after 2022 have affected this,” the statement emphasized.
