Ukraine backs martial law after ships and crew seized by Russia
● Air defences to be strengthened ● European Council declares it will ‘stay united’ behind Ukraine
0 The three seized Ukrainian ships were yesterday seen docked near the Kerch Strait where they were captured by Russian officials parliament has voted to impose martial law in the country for 30 days after Sunday’s capture of three of its naval vessels and 23 crew members by Russia.
Martial law will include a partial mobilisation and strengthening of the country’s air defence. The measures before parliament also included vaguely worded steps such as “strengthening” anti-terrorism measures and “information security”.
President Petro Poroshenko asked politicians earlier to back his motion to impose martial law in the wake of Sunday’s incident near Russiaoccupied Crimea when Russian borders guards opened fire on three Ukrainian navy vessels before seizing the ships and their crews.
Parliament voted overwhelmingly for the motion following a five-hour debate. Mr Poroshenko had demanded Russia immediately release the Ukrainian sailors and ships.
The neighbours have been locked in a tense tug-of-war since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, but the latest incident placed them on the verge of an open conflict.
The Ukrainian navy said six of its seamen were wounded when Russian coastguards opened fire on three Ukrainian ships near the Kerch Strait.
Russia said three Ukrainian sailors were lightly injured and given medical assistance.
Mr Poroshenko said: “We consider it as an act of aggresukraine’s sion against our state and a very serious threat.
“Unfortunately, there are no ‘red lines’ for the Russian Federation.”
Anemergencymeetingofthe United Nations Security Council was also called yesterday, while the European Union and Nato called for restraint from both sides.
Mr Poroshenko had a phone
DONALD TUSK call with Nato secretarygeneral Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the situation. Nato later said that, at Mr Poroshenko’s request, its ambassadors and Ukraine’s envoy would hold emergency talks in Brussels later.
Nato said Mr Stoltenberg expressed the Us-led military alliance’s “full support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, including its full navigational rights in its territorial waters under international law”.
European Union chief Donald Tusk called on Russia to stop provoking Ukraine and urged the authorities to return any Ukrainian ships or sailors it is holding.
The European Council president tweeted: “I condemn Russian use of force in Azov Sea.” He added that “Russian authorities must return Ukrainian sailors, vessels and refrain from further provocations”.
He said he has discussed developments with Mr Poroshenko and would meet the Ukrainian leader’s representatives later.
Mr Tusk added: “Europe will stay united in support of Ukraine.”
Mr Poroshenko said at a meeting of Ukraine’s national security council that “we demand that [the ships and crews] are urgently turned over to the Ukrainian side” and called for a “de-escalation” of the crisis around Crimea.
Russia and Ukraine have traded blame over the incident.
Some 200 protesters waving Ukrainian flags and antirussia slogans demonstrated outside the Russian Embassy in Poland yesterday over the stand-off.
Most present were members of the Ukrainian community in Warsaw.
Some protesters briefly clashed with the police.
“I condemn Russian use of force … Russian authorities must return Ukrainian sailors, vessels and refrain from further provocations”