Ukraine on Monday accused Russia of seeking to illegally seize control of the strategically important Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait, as hearings opened in a high-stakes arbitration case between Kyiv and Moscow.

Ukraine accused Russia at an international court on Monday of flouting sea law by trying to keep the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and annexed Crimea under its sole control. Kyiv began proceedings at the Hague-based intergovernmental Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 after Moscow began building the 19 km (12 mile) Crimea Bridge link to the peninsula it seized from Ukraine two years previously.

Ukraine and Russia faced off on Monday at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague regarding a long-standing dispute over access to the Sea of Azov, located east of Crimea. Ukraine is calling for the demolition of the Kerch Bridge,

Russia is deliberately restricting international shipping in the Sea of Azov to take control of it and the Kerch Strait. Russia illegally constructed the Kerch Bridge, which has become a constant barrier for shipping,