Ukraine warning over seized vessels

RUSSIA ‘MUST RELEASE SAILORS’

UKRAINE’S president has demanded that Russia immediately release Ukrainian sailors and ships seized in a standoff around Crimea that sharply escalated tensions between the two countries.

The neighbours have been locked in a tense tug-of-war since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, but the incident in which Russian coast guard ships fired on Ukrainian navy vessels directly pitted the two militaries.

The Ukrainian navy said six of its seamen were wounded when Russian coast guards opened fire late on Sunday on three Ukrainian ships near the Kerch Strait and then seized them.

Russia said three Ukrainian sailors were lightly injured and given medical assistance. Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, chaired an emergency meeting of his cabinet yesterday and asked parliament to introduce martial law in response to what he described as Russian aggression.

“We consider it as an act of aggression against our state,” the president said. “Unfortunately, there are no ‘red lines’ for the Russian Federation.”

Martial law could entail a variety of measures including closing the borders, imposing restrictions on foreigners entering the country, a ban on gun sales, a ban of any political gatherings and rallies and even closing down media outlets if they are deemed a threat to national security.