Ukraine alone has the right to decide the fate of the Kerch Bridge — MP

The construction of the Kerch Bridge was carried out in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, on the territory of a sovereign state without its consent. Therefore, Ukraine has the right to independently determine the fate of the bridge.

This was stated by Oleksandr Merezhko, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, on Hromadske Radio.

On 23 September, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague began hearings on the merits of Ukraine’s claim, in which Russia is accused of violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as the Kerch Strait.

Merezhko asserts that Russia has committed a significant violation of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He emphasized that the international court operates on the basis of this convention.

«Russia has occupied territories that do not belong to it, but to Ukraine. By doing so, it has violated international maritime law, specifically not only customary law but also the provisions of the Convention on the Law of the Sea. Russia’s actions are a clear violation. This is why we must use international legal mechanisms to protect our rights,» said the head of the parliamentary committee.

Additionally, Merezhko pointed out that Russia violated the Convention by illegally constructing the Kerch Bridge. The bridge was built on the territory of the sovereign state of Ukraine without Ukraine’s consent.

«Russia has infringed on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Only Ukraine has the right to decide whether the Kerch Bridge should exist. The construction was done without Ukraine’s approval, so Ukraine has the authority to determine the bridge’s fate,» Merezhko explained.

The Kerch Bridge has been, and remains, a military target for Ukraine. Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, commander of the Ukrainian Navy, reiterated this. According to him, the bridge should be destroyed, as it serves as a crucial element in Russian military logistics. He emphasized that all Russian military logistics should be dismantled.

Earlier, Oleksandr Musienko, head of the Centre for Military Legal Studies, stated on Hromadske Radio that if Russia completes the railway to Crimea, the importance of the Crimean Bridge to Russia may diminish.