Moscow accuses Kiev of provoking Kerch Strait incident

Russia’s foreign ministry accused Ukraine yesterday of deliberating provoking an incident in the Kerch Strait near the peninsula of Crimea on Sunday in order to create a pretext for new sanctions to be imposed on Moscow. Russia on Sunday seized two small Ukrainian armoured artillery vessels and a tugboat, which Moscow said had illegally entered Russia’s territorial waters. The foreign ministry said in a statement that it would respond harshly to any attempts to undermine its sovereign and security.