Russia terminates navigation agreement with Ukraine

The relevant decree regarding this matter was signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

"In accordance with Article 37, Section 1 of the federal law 'On International Agreements of the Russian Federation,' the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on measures to ensure navigation safety in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, signed in Moscow on 20 March 2012, expires," the decree states.

The agreement between Russia and Ukraine on measures to ensure navigation safety in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait was signed in 2012. Its aim was to regulate the rules for using these waters, which form an important transport route for both countries.

The agreement specified, among other things, the rules for ships passing through the Kerch Strait and issues related to the control and monitoring of navigation. In the context of this agreement, Russia committed to cooperating with Ukraine to ensure maritime safety, aiming to minimise the risk of collisions and incidents in the shared waters.

However, with increasing political tensions and military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, this agreement became controversial. Russia began imposing increasingly restrictive navigation controls in the Kerch Strait, resulting in limitations on the free passage of Ukrainian and international ships. These actions were viewed as a violation of the agreement and as an attempt to exert pressure on Ukraine.

As a result, the situation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait has become one of the key contentious points in Russian-Ukrainian relations, with serious consequences for regional security and trade.