Ukraine has called on the Hague Arbitration Court to order Russia to dismantle The Crimean Bridge. This was stated by the representative of Ukraine, Oksana Zolotareva, who spoke at the hearings in The Hague, reports "Ukrinform", quoted by News.bg.
According to her, Russia illegally built the bridge and must now remove it to ensure passage through the Kerch Strait in accordance with international law. "Dismantling the bridge is the only way to restore the passage of ships from all countries that have used the strait in the past and ships that will use it in the future," Zolotareva said.
Ukraine began arbitration proceedings against Russia in September 2016. In 2020, the Hague-based arbitral tribunal confirmed its jurisdiction and substantive hearings began on September 23, 2024.
As part of this case, Ukraine is demanding that the Convention on the Law of the Sea be applied and that Russia be held accountable for its violations, including the illegal construction of the Crimean Bridge connecting annexed Crimea with the Krasnodar Territory.
Construction of the bridge, which connects the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland coast across the Kerch Strait, began in 2016 and was completed in 2018.
After the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, Russia saw the need to build a transport corridor between the peninsula and Russia. The Crimean peninsula was isolated due to international sanctions, and Ukraine cut transport links with the region. For Russia, this was an important strategic and political project that was supposed to strengthen the connection between Crimea and the Russian mainland, as well as facilitate the movement of people and goods.
The Russian company "Stroygazmontazh", owned by Arkady Rotenberg, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, was selected as the main contractor for the project. The design of the bridge involved complex engineering solutions due to the complex natural conditions, such as strong winds, currents and the risk of seismic activity in the region.
The bridge is 19 kilometers long and includes two parts - road and rail. The car part was opened in May 2018, and the railway became operational at the end of 2019. It is the longest bridge in Russia and Europe. The facility passes through the island of Tuzla and an artificial breakwater, which facilitated construction.
Besides the infrastructural significance, the Crimean Bridge has a strong symbolic significance for Russia. It represents the physical connectivity of Crimea with Russia and is an important element of Russian policy towards the region.
The project was met with strong criticism from Ukraine and the international community, which sees it as a symbol of the annexation of Crimea. The European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions on companies and individuals associated with the construction of the bridge. Nevertheless, Russia continued the project and presented it as a success of its engineering and economic might.