In the Russian Federation they want to declare the Azov Sea inland waters: they seek recognition of Crimea - isw

According to analysts, the idea of ​​Russian legislators is also to create conditions for recognition of occupied Kherson, Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk regions. The Russian State Duma is going to consider the proposed bill, according to which the Azov Sea should be considered inland waters of Russia. This initiative is intended to create the conditions for recognition of the annexation of the occupied Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk regions.

About it writes "Institute of War Study" in the summary of December 5. Michael Sheremet, who represents the occupied Crimea in the Russian Parliament, said December 5 that the Duma would try to adopt the proposed bill. The text of the legislative initiative states that the Azov Sea should become the inner waters of the Russian Federation by the end of 2023.

In 2003 and 2004, the Russian Federation and Ukraine signed and ratified a treaty that there is a provision that the Azov Sea is inland waters of both Russia and Ukraine, as well as that vessels under the Ukrainian or Russian flag in the Azov Sea are given freedom of navigation . The Verkhovna Rada denied the treaty in February 2023, stating that Russia has raised the provision that all issues regarding the Azov Sea should be resolved peacefully within bilateral agreements.

It has been stated that the permission of Russian warships freely moving the sea is a threat to the national security of Ukraine. In his turn, and in June 2023, President Vladimir Putin signed a law that denounces the said agreement. It was argued that Ukraine allegedly lost the status of the coastal state of the Azov Sea after the Russian Federation partially annexed Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions in 2022.