Dispute Concerning Coastal State Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait (Ukraine v. the Russian Federation)

On 16 September 2016, Ukraine served on the Russian Federation a Notification and Statement of Claim under Annex VII to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) referring to a dispute concerning coastal state rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait. The Permanent Court of Arbitration acted as Registry in this arbitration.


Case information

Name(s) of Claimant(s) Ukraine (State)
Name(s) of Respondent(s) The Russian Federation (State)
Names of Parties -
Case number 2017-06
Administering institution Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
Case status Concluded
Type of case Inter-state arbitration
Subject matter or economic sector Law of the sea
Procedural rules - Other -
Treaty or contract under which proceedings were commenced

Multilateral treaty
UNCLOS

Language of Proceeding English
Seat of Arbitration (by Country) -
Arbitrator(s), Conciliator(s), Other Neutral(s)

Judge Jin-Hyun Paik (Presiding arbitrator)

Judge Boualem Bouguetaia

Judge Alonso Gómez-Robledo

Professor Vaughan Lowe KC

Professor Alexander Vylegzhanin (as of 30 May 2023)

Judge Vladimir Golitsyn (until 26 March 2023)

Representatives of the Claimant(s)

Agent

 

H.E. Mr. Anton Korynevych 

Director, International Law Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (as of 17 March 2023) 

 

Counsel


Ms. Marney L. Cheek

Covington & Burling LLP; member of the Bars of the Supreme Court of the United States and the District of Columbia

Mr. Jonathan Gimblett
Covington & Burling LLP; member of the Bars of the District of Columbia and Virginia

Mr. David M. Zionts
Covington & Burling LLP; member of the Bars of the Supreme Court of the United States and the District of Columbia

Mr. Nikhil V. Gore
Covington & Burling LLP; member of the Bars of the District of Columbia, Massachusetts and New York

Mr. Minwoo Kim
Covington & Burling LLP; member of the Bars of the District of Columbia and New York

Professor Harold Hongju Koh
Sterling Professor of International Law, Yale Law School; member of the Bars of New York and the District of Columbia (as of 30 January 2018)

Professor Alfred H.A. Soons
Emeritus Professor, Utrecht University School of Law; member, Institut de Droit International (as of 30 January 2018)

Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin
Professor, University of Paris Nanterre; Secretary-General, Hague Academy of International Law; member, Institut de Droit International; Sygna Partners; member of the Paris Bar (as of 30 January 2018)

Ms. Kateryna Gipenko
Department of International Law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Mr. Dmytro Kutsenko
Department of International Law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Representatives of the Respondent(s)

Agents

H.E. Mr. Gennady Kuzmin
Ambassador-at-large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation 

H.E. Mr. Vladimir Tarabrin
Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Counsel

Mr. Konstantin Kosorukov
Head of Division for International Justice and Inter-State Disputes, Legal Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Mr. Kirill Udovichenko
Partner, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Mr. Sergey Korolev
Counsel, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Dr. Alfredo Crosato Neumann
Associate Professor of International Law Kadir Has University, Istanbul

Mr. Lesther Antonio Ortega Lemus
Director, LexOceana

Legal Advisers

Mr. Yuri Andryushkin
Counselor, Legal Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Ms. Ksenia Galkina
First Secretary, Legal Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Mr. Mikhail Abramov
Senior Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Mr. Anatoly Balan
Senior Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Ms. Anna Kostina
Senior Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Ms. Anastasia Taranova
Senior Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Mr. Nikolay Zinovyev
Senior Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Mr. Ilia Cherezov
Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Mr. Vladislav Donakanian
Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Ms. Irina Donskikh
Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Ms. Anna Gavkalyuk
Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Mr. Oleg Kondrashov
Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Ms. Marina Kulidobrova
Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Mr. Artem Lupandin
Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Ms. Kata Varga
Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Ms. Darya Zavershinskaya
Associate, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Assistants

Ms. Daria Gorchakova
Administrative Assistant, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Ms. Svetlana Poliakova
Legal Assistant, Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov & Partners

Representatives of the Parties
Number of Arbitrators in case 5
Date of commencement of proceeding 16 September 2016
Date of issue of final award 22 April 2026
Length of Proceedings More than 4 years
Additional notes -

Documents

Written submission
Preliminary Objections of the Russian Federation
Russian Federation - Preliminary Objections - Exhibits
Russian Federation - Preliminary Objections - Legal Authorities
Written Observations and Submissions of Ukraine on Jurisdiction
Ukraine - Observations on Jurisdiction - Exhibits
Ukraine - Observations on Jurisdiction - Legal Authorities
Reply of the Russian Federation to the Written Observations and Submissions of Ukraine on Jurisdiction
Russian Federation - Reply Memorial - Exhibits
Russian Federation - Reply Memorial - Legal Authorities
Rejoinder of Ukraine on Jurisdiction
Ukraine - Rejoinder Memorial - Exhibits
Ukraine - Rejoinder Memorial - Legal Authorities
Russian Federation - Hearing on Preliminary Objections - Additional Legal Authorities and Exhibits
Ukraine - Hearing on Preliminary Objections - Additional Legal Authorities
Revised Memorial of Ukraine
Ukraine - Revised Memorial - Exhibits
Ukraine - Revised Memorial - Legal Authorities
Counter-Memorial of the Russian Federation
Russian Federation - Counter-Memorial - Exhibits
Russian Federation - Counter-Memorial - Legal Authorities
Reply of Ukraine
Ukraine - Reply - Exhibits
Ukraine - Reply - Legal Authorities
Rejoinder of the Russian Federation
Russian Federation - Rejoinder - Exhibits
Russian Federation - Rejoinder - Legal Authorities
Ukraine - Hearing on Merits - Additional Exhibits
Ukraine - Hearing on Merits - Additional Legal Authorities
Russian Federation - Hearing on Merits - Additional Exhibits
Russian Federation - Hearing on Merits - Additional Legal Authorities
Procedural Documents
Rules of Procedure
Procedural Order No. 2
Procedural Order No. 3
Procedural Order No. 4
Procedural Order No. 5
Procedural Order No. 6
Procedural Order No. 7
Procedural Order No. 8
Procedural Order No. 9
Procedural Order No. 10
Procedural Order No. 11
Procedural Order No. 12
Award or other decision
Award on Preliminary Objections
Award
Press Release
Press Release - First Procedural Meeting
Press Release - Bifurcation
Communiqué de presse - Bifurcation
Press Release - Hearing
Communiqué de presse - Audience
Press Release - Accreditation Procedure
Communiqué de presse - Procédure d'accréditation
Press release - Commencement of the hearing
Communiqué de presse - Début de l'audience
Press release - Award
Communiqué de presse - Sentence
Press Release - Publication of Award
Communiqué de presse - Publication de la sentence
Press Release - Hearing
Communiqué de presse - Audience
Press Release - Accreditation Procedure
Communiqué de presse - Procédure d'accréditation
Press Release - Commencement of the hearing
Communiqué de presse - Début de l'audience
Press Release - Issuance of Award
Communiqué de presse - Rendu de la Sentence
Press Release - Publication of Award
Communiqué de presse - Publication de la Sentence
Image
Arbitral Tribunal
Tribunal with staff members of the PCA
Hearing participants
Hearing participants
Tribunal in session
Tribunal in session
Hearing in session
Hearing in session
Tribunal during Hearing on Preliminary Objections
H.E. Ms. Olena Zerkal, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine
H.E. Mr. Dmitry Lobach, Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Federation
Delegation of Ukraine
Delegation of the Russian Federation
Hearing Room for Preliminary Objections
Tribunal with Registrar
Tribunal in Session
Tribunal in Session - 2
H.E. Ms. Olena Zerkal, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine
H.E. Ms. Zerkal & H.E. Mr. Chentsov
Mr. Pellet & H.E. Mr. Lobach
Arbitral Tribunal with the Registrar
Tribunal in session
Tribunal in session
Hearing in session
Hearing in session
Hearing in session
Hearing in session
H.E. Mr. Anton Korynevych, Ambassador-at-large of Ukraine
H.E. Mr. Gennady Kuzmin, Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Federation
Tribunal in Session
Ms. Oksana Zolotaryova, Director, Department of International Law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Ukraine’s Closing Statement
Tribunal in Session
H.E. Mr. Gennady Kuzmin, Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Federation
Russian Federation's Closing Statement
Video
Introductions of the Parties and Opening Statement of H.E. Mr. Dmitry Lobach, Agent for the Russian Federation
Opening Statement of H.E. Ms. Olena Zerkal, Agent for Ukraine
Opening Statements of H.E. Mr. Anton Korynevych, Agent for Ukraine, and H.E. Mr. Gennady Kuzmin, Agent for the Russian Federation
Closing Statement of Ms. Oksana Zolotaryova, Co-Agent for Ukraine
Closing Statement of H.E. Mr. Gennady Kuzmin, Agent for the Russian Federation
Transcript/Minutes
Opening Statement of the Russian Federation Transcript
Opening Statement of Ukraine Transcript
Opening Statements of Ukraine and the Russian Federation Transcript
Closing Statement of Ukraine Transcript
Closing Statement of the Russian Federation Transcript