The Kerch Strait belongs to the Russian Federation and is under its full sovereignty, the Sea of ??Azov has bilateral status.

So commented the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova Square plans to expand the controlled marine territory. "Issues of delimiting the adjacent zones of Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea should be resolved by agreement of the parties, as provided for by international law, including existing bilateral treaties," Zakharova said at today's traditional briefing.. She noted two important factors related to the status of the Kerch Strait and the Sea of ??Azov. "The first is currently under the full sovereignty of Russia, as the only coastal state. As for the Azov Sea, these are joint inland waters, part of the territory of Russia and Ukraine, both by virtue of the existing bilateral agreements and customary international law, "the diplomat said. Zakharova recalled that this status was enshrined, inter alia, by the Agreement on cooperation in the use of the Sea of ??Azov and the Kerch Strait of 2003.. This document is termless and does not imply the termination of one of the participants.. “We proceed from the inapplicability of the Ukrainian legislation on the contiguous zone to these maritime spaces,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson concluded.. On November 8, the Verkhovna Rada approved in the first reading the draft law “On the adjacent zone of Ukraine”, which will provide an opportunity to extend the sea-controlled territory at sea by 12 nautical miles. The document is supposedly accepted with the aim of combating smuggling in the Black Sea. The bill should pass the second reading.