Russian Foreign Ministry calls Ukraine's accusations on the Crimean bridge frivolous
Ukraine's accusations against Russia over the Crimean bridge in international arbitration are not serious and go beyond the framework of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea. This was stated on September 23 by Gennady Kuznetsov, Ambassador at Large of the Foreign Ministry and head of the Russian delegation in The Hague.
"As in the UN International Court of Justice, Ukraine's accusations in this arbitration are not serious and represent nothing more than another example of systematic abuse of the international justice system for purely political purposes," he pointed out.
Kuznetsov also emphasized that the construction of the bridge was a necessity and a major infrastructure project, which was based on specialists' research and was implemented because of Ukraine's blockade of Crimea.
Kiev initiated the dispute with Moscow in September 2016. Ukraine accuses Russia of allegedly violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in the Black Sea and demands confirmation of its rights in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as in the Kerch Strait. The Ukrainian side considers Russia's use of natural resources in these water areas and the construction of the Crimean bridge illegal and accuses it of allegedly damaging the environment and international navigation. Russia denies these accusations and believes that the arbitration tribunal has no authority to consider the claim.
The Crimean bridge connecting the Kerch and Taman peninsulas via Tuzla Island and the Tuzla Spit is the longest bridge in Russia. The construction of its road part was completed on May 15, 2018, the same month automobile traffic was opened on the bridge.
The erection of the bridge was organized as a result of the events of 2014, when Crimea became part of Russia after a referendum in which the majority of the peninsula's residents voted for reunification with the Russian Federation. Meanwhile, Kiev refuses to recognize the results of the vote and considers Crimea to be its territory and makes attempts to destroy the Crimean bridge.
