Russia is deliberately restricting international shipping in the Sea of Azov to take control of it and the Kerch Strait. Russia illegally constructed the Kerch Bridge, which has become a constant barrier for shipping,

Ukraine accused Russia on Monday of attempting to illegally seize control of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, as hearings in a major arbitration case between Kyiv and Moscow began. The hearings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration are part of ongoing international legal challenges over Russia`s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022,

The Crimean bridge was constructed to link the temporarily occupied Crimea to Russia via the Kerch Strait. Crimea, the autonomous republic located in southern Ukraine on the Black Sea, was invaded by Russia and annexed in 2014, a move condemned by the international community.

Ukraine accused Russia of trying to illegally seize control of the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait during hearings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The case, filed by Kyiv in 2016, claims Russia breached a UN maritime treaty by building an unlawful bridge and barring Ukrainian fishermen.

Ukraine has said the Crimean Bridge "must come down" as it accused Russia of flouting maritime laws at an international court in the Hague on Sept. 23. Speaking at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Anton Korynevych, said Russia " wants to take the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait for itself."

Ukraine on Monday accused Russia of seeking to illegally seize control of the strategically important Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait, as hearings opened in a high-stakes arbitration case between Kyiv and Moscow.

Ukraine has accused Russia at an international court of violating sea law by controlling the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and annexed Crimea. The dispute follows Russia's construction of the Crimea Bridge.

Ukraine accused Russia at an international court on Monday of flouting sea law by trying to keep the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and annexed Crimea under its sole control. Kyiv began proceedings at the Hague-based intergovernmental Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 after Moscow began building the 19 km (12 mile) Crimea Bridge link to the peninsula it seized from Ukraine two years previously.

The €3.15-billion, 19-kilometre bridge built by Russia across the Kerch Strait after it annexed Crimea in 2014 is meant to enable the Kremlin to control Ukraine's Sea of Azov, Kyiv's legal representatives said in front of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.