This article explores the legal situation relating to the Sea of Azov in the light of the Russian suspension of shipping on 24 February 2022. While this act received little scholarly or political attention, there is a debate concerning the legality of the suspension of shipping, mainly whether it is governed by the law of naval blockade under the laws of naval warfare. The article analyses the situation from the perspectives of both international humanitarian law (IHL) and the law of the sea (LOS) and examines how the interaction between the two legal regimes affects the analysis. The article supports the conclusion that the Russian conduct does not constitute a naval blockade but may be an accepted practice within the legal regime of naval warfare. In addition, it holds that LOS affects both the laws of naval warfare and the status of the Sea of Azov. Furthermore, the article raises doubts as to the relevance and applicability of the legal concept of naval blockade in modern international law.

中文翻译：

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封锁还是不封锁？俄罗斯亚速海停航的法律地位

本文探讨了俄罗斯于 2022 年 2 月 24 日暂停航运的情况下与亚速海相关的法律状况。虽然这一行为很少受到学术或政治关注，但关于暂停航运的合法性存在争议，主要是是否适用海战法下的海上封锁法。本文从国际人道法（IHL）和海洋法（LOS）的角度分析了这一情况，并探讨了两种法律制度之间的相互作用如何影响分析。文章支持这样的结论：俄罗斯的行为并不构成海上封锁，但可能是海战法律制度内可接受的做法。此外，它认为视线既影响海战规律，也影响亚速海的地位。此外，文章还对现代国际法中海上封锁这一法律概念的相关性和适用性提出了质疑。