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Turkey said on Monday it was "concerned" by reports that Ukrainian ships had been fired on off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea and said that shipping in the area should not be obstructed.
"As a country sharing a Black Sea coast, we underline that passage through Kerch Strait should not be blocked," Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"We call for the respect of international law in order not to escalate tensions," it added, calling for avoiding steps that could endanger stability and peace in the region.
Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships in the Black Sea on Sunday after opening fire on them and wounding several sailors, a move that risks igniting a dangerous new crisis between the two countries.
The incident took place near the Kerch Strait linking the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov.
The three Ukrainian naval vessels are being held at the Black Sea peninsula's port of Kerch.
Footage shows the moment Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea on Sunday after opening fire on them and wounding several sailors
Russia seizes Ukrainian ships near annexed Crimea
Three Ukrainian naval vessels seized by Russia off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea on Sunday are being held at the Black Sea peninsula's port of Kerch, a Reuters witness said on Monday.People in naval-style uniforms could be seen around the vessels, which bore no sign of damage, the witness said.Russia on Sunday seized two small Ukrainian armoured artillery vessels and a tug boat, which Moscow said had illegally entered Russia's territorial waters.Video: Three Ukrainian ships seized by Russia are moored at Crimean port of KerchRussia blocks Ukrainian navy from entering Sea of AzovRussia ‘rams’ Ukrainian tugboat off CrimeaRussia and Ukraine involved in Black Sea naval standoff
Ukrainian ships seized by Russia being held at Crimean port of Kerch
The UN Security Council will convene a meeting on Monday over a dispute between Russia and Ukraine.Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to UN, tweeted on Sunday: “An emergency Security Council meeting has been called for tomorrow at 11:00 am.”The move came after Russia seized three Ukrainian navy ships off Crimea in the Sea of Azov.Russia fires on and seizes Ukrainian ships near annexed CrimeaRussia said the vessels ignored calls to stop at the border sparking military action.The Ukrainian Navy earlier accused Russia of opening fire on its warships off Crimea, asserting that crew members were wounded and its vessels were seized by Russia.
Security Council to convene over Russia, Ukraine
Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea on Sunday after opening fire on them and wounding several sailors, a move that risks igniting a dangerous new crisis between the two countries.Russia's FSB security service said early on Monday its border patrol boats had seized the Ukrainian naval vessels in the Black Sea and used weapons to force them to stop, Russian news agencies reported.The FSB said it had been forced to act because the ships - two small Ukrainian armoured artillery vessels and a tug boat - had illegally entered its territorial waters, attempted illegal actions, and ignored warnings to stop while manoeuvring dangerously.Video: Russia seizes Ukrainian ships near annexed Crimea"Weapons were used with the aim of forcibly stopping the Ukrainian warships," the FSB said in a statement circulated to Russian state media."As a result, all three Ukrainian naval vessels were seized in the Russian Federation's territorial waters in the Black Sea."The FSB said three Ukrainian sailors were wounded in the incident and were getting medical care. Their lives were not in danger, it said.With relations still raw after Russia's annexation of Crimea and its backing for a pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine, the incident risks pushing the two countries towards a wider conflict.Ukraine denied its ships had done anything wrong, accused Russia of military aggression, and asked for the international community to mobilise to punish Russia.The U.N. Security Council will meet on the latest developments at the request of Russia and Ukraine, diplomats said.POROSHENKO PROPOSES MARTIAL LAWUkrainian President Petro Poroshenko met his top military and security chiefs. Poroshenko said he would propose that parliament impose martial law.Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and then built a giant road bridge linking it to southern Russia that straddles the Kerch Strait - a narrow stretch of water that links the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, which is home to two of Ukraine's most important ports.Russia's control of Crimea, where its Black Sea Fleet is based, and of the bridge mean it is able to control shipping flows.The crisis began on Sunday after Russia stopped the three Ukrainian ships from entering the Sea of Azov by placing a cargo ship beneath the bridge.A Reuters witness said Russia backed its blockade with at least two Sukhoi Su-25 warplanes that screeched overhead. Russian state TV said Russian combat helicopters had been deployed in the area.The Ukrainian navy said on social media six Ukrainian sailors were wounded in the subsequent seizure of its ships, which appear to have been rammed and boarded, and that the Russian attack on them had occurred after they had retreated and headed back towards Odessa, the Black Sea port from where they had begun their journey."After leaving the 12-mile zone, the Russian Federation's FSB (security service) opened fire at the flotilla belonging to ... the armed forces of Ukraine," it said in a statement.The European Union said in a statement it expected Russia to restore freedom of passage via the Kerch Strait and urged both sides to act with utmost restraint to de-escalate the situation. A NATO spokeswoman issued a similar appeal to both sides.RISK OF WIDER CONFLICTA bilateral treaty gives both Russia and Ukraine the right to use the Sea of Azov, which lies between them and is linked by the narrow Kerch Strait to the Black Sea. Tension has risen since Russia annexed Crimea, with both countries complaining about shipping delays and harassment.Russia's border guard service accused Ukraine earlier on Sunday of not informing it in advance of the three ships' journey, something Kiev denied.Russia said the Ukrainian ships had been manoeuvring dangerously and ignoring its instructions with the aim of stirring up tensions.Russian politicians denounced Kiev, saying the incident looked like a calculated bid by Poroshenko to increase his popularity ahead of an election next year.In another sign of rising tensions, Russia's state-controlled RIA news agency reported on Sunday night that Ukrainian forces had started heavy shelling of residential areas in eastern Ukraine, which is controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.Reuters could not independently confirm that and the Interfax news agency cited separatists as denying there had been any unusual escalation.
Russia fires on and seizes Ukrainian ships near annexed Crimea