Victory in The Hague secures Russia's rights to waters around Crimea — MFA

Crimea and SevastopolVictory in The Hague secures Russia's rights to waters around Crimea — MFA Director of the Legal Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maxim Musikhin highlighted that all unfounded demands had been rejected in international arbitrationMOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. Victory in the dispute over the rights of a coastal state has affirmed Russia’s sovereignty over the waters of the Kerch Strait, the Sea of Azov, and the maritime areas surrounding Crimea, according to Maxim Musikhin, Director of the Legal Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, Musikhin highlighted that "all unfounded demands were rejected in international arbitration. The Sea of Azov is recognized as internal waters, and Russia’s rights in the waters around Crimea are firmly upheld." He underscored the significance of this ruling for the resolution of ongoing tensions, stating, "The entire Western narrative - that the Sea of Azov is Ukrainian and that the waters around Crimea are Ukrainian - has been thoroughly dismantled." Musikhin emphasized that Russia’s victory in this arbitration carries profound political and geopolitical implications. The 14th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum is taking place from June 24 to 26, 2026. It was organized by the Russian Ministry of Justice and the Roscongress Foundation. TASS serves as the general information partner. Russia’s Victory in The Hague Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague delivered its final ruling in the decade-long legal dispute between Russia and Ukraine over the rights of a coastal state in the Kerch Strait, the Sea of Azov, and the waters surrounding Crimea. A panel of five independent arbitrators from Algeria, Britain, Mexico, Russia, and South Korea, unanimously rejected Ukraine’s claims to control hydrocarbon, fish, and other resources in these waters, as well as any claims for compensation or reparations from Russia. Furthermore, the court dismissed Ukraine’s efforts to designate the Kerch Strait as an international waterway, which would have permitted passage for vessels of all nations, including military ships. The tribunal also found that Russia's construction of the Crimean Bridge, the transfer of floating drilling platforms to Russian jurisdiction, and the inspection of vessels in the Kerch Strait by Russian border guards do not violate the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. 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