ambassador to the U.N., called the incident an “outrageous violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory” and “another reckless Russian escalation” during an emergency meeting of the U.N. Volodymyr Yelchenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, said his country has audio recordings of radio traffic that proves the Russian military orchestrated the incident. Several Ukrainian sailors were injured in the incident - Ukraine officials say six were hurt Russia says three. The navy ship Berdyansk and Nikopol and the tug boat Yana Kapu were heading from the Black Sea port of Odessa to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov, Ukraine has said. A newly built Russian bridge opened by Putin himself now spans the strait, which Moscow hopes will solidify its claim to adjoining Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula it forcibly annexed in 2014. Sunday’s incident occurred as the Ukrainian navy ships, including a tugboat, tried to pass through the Kerch Strait, a strategic waterway that separates the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday with a “warning” to Ukraine that naval conflict in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea “is fraught with serious consequences.” The measures before parliament also included vaguely worded steps such as ‘strengthening’ anti-terrorism measures and ‘information security,’” the AP reports. “Martial law will include a partial mobilization and strengthening of the country’s air defense. Poroshenko told lawmakers that the special powers will only affect regions of Ukraine bordering Russia, Belarus and Moldova’s “breakaway republic” of Trans-Dniester, which the president has identified as in the front-line of any potential Russian strike, according to the Associated Press. Ukraine’s parliament has agreed to impose martial law in 10 of its provinces to combat “growing aggression from Russia,” after a weekend confrontation in waters off the disputed Crimean Peninsula led Russia to seize three Ukrainian navy vessels.Īfter five hours of debate on Monday, parliament voted to support the motion proposed by President Petro Poroshenko to impose martial law for 30 days.
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