Ukraine vs. Russia: a hearing on the merits of the case on Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereign rights in the Black and Azov Seas will begin on Monday in The Hague

On Monday, September 23, the Permanent Chamber of the Arbitration Court in The Hague will begin hearing the merits of Ukraine’s claim against Russia for violation of the right of a coastal state under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It is written on the website of the court UNN.

Hearings on the merits will last from September 23 to October 5.

The trial is expected to begin on September 23 at exactly 10 a.m. local time (11 a.m. Kyiv time). After that, the Ukrainian side will have 20 minutes to make an opening statement. Following Ukraine, Russia will announce its introductory statement. After that, the hearing will be held in closed session.

The following public statements, as planned at the moment, will be made: Ukraine – October 3 at 5:40 p.m. local time (6:40 p.m. Kyiv time), Russia – October 5 at 5:40 p.m. local time.

The open part of the hearings will be broadcast by the court.

We will remind

In September 2016, Ukraine initiated a separate proceeding against the Russian Federation regarding its violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and seeks to confirm Ukraine’s rights in the Black and Azov Seas and the Kerch Strait through the use of an arbitration procedure.

In May 2017, the first meeting of the tribunal under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea took place, within the framework of which an arbitration was established to consider the dispute between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. In February 2018, Ukraine submitted evidence of Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereign rights in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as in the Kerch Strait, to the Permanent Chamber of the Arbitration Court in The Hague.