Russian warships opened fire on a group of Ukrainian military vessels that had previously tried to enter the Kerch Strait near the disputed peninsula, Ukraine’s Navy said on Facebook. One man was wounded and one of the ships damaged and immobilized as the Russians “fired to kill,” according to the statement.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called an emergency cabinet meeting for 10 p.m. local time and is also in constant contact with NATO and the European Union on the latest developments, his press service said in an emailed statement.
Russia, which seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, defended its actions, saying three Ukrainian warships sailed into its territorial waters and were carrying out “dangerous maneuvers,” the Tass news service reported, citing the Russian Federal Security Service in Crimea. DM