The agreement on cooperation in the use of the Sea of ??Azov and the Kerch Strait is still in force. Unlawfully annexing the Crimea, Russia did not annex the strait, did not denounce the Treaty, although it established its control over the seized port of Kerch and its water area with a navigable channel and anchorage sites in the Kerch-Enikalsk channel. At the same time, the status of the strait and the Sea of ??Azov remains the same - the internal waters of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

About this in his article for ZN. UA writes Valentina Samar. In her opinion, Ukraine, whether it be political will, would have to resolutely demand from Russia compliance with a bilateral agreement. However, at the beginning of the construction of the bridge, and before that - the so-called energy bridge, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry did not respond even with a frail statement.

"Russia's restriction of the freedom of navigation began in the strait before the opening of the bridge movement - after the installation of the arch, under which large Panamax vessels can not pass, which immediately affected the income of the Ukrainian ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, as well as exporters of metal and grain," the observer notes.. - The next stage was the "nightmare" of ships under any flags that were going to / from Ukrainian ports, the FSB border guards - a stop for a long time, an inspection, a "turn" for the passage of the strait ".