Emergency UN Security Council meeting called after Russia seizes Ukrainian ships off the coast of Crimea

An emergency United Nations Security Council meeting has been called after Russia seized three naval ships off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea on Sunday.

US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley tweeted that the meeting has been called for 11am on Monday.

Russia opened fire on the ships and wounded several sailors after a tense standoff in the Black Sea, according to the Ukrainian navy.

However Russia blames Ukraine for provoking the incident, which has sharply escalated tensions that have been growing since the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Russia’s FSB security service said early on Monday that its patrol boats had seized the vessels in the Black Sea and used weapons to force them to stop.

Russian jet fighters fly over a bridge connecting the Russian mainland with the Crimean Peninsula (REUTERS)

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.

A statement from the FSB said: "Weapons were used with the aim of forcibly stopping the Ukrainian warships

"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.

Ukraine denied its ships had done anything wrong, accused Russia of military aggression, and asked for the international community to mobilise to punish Russia.

Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko met with his top military and security chiefs and said he would propose that parliament impose martial law.

Protesters set up paper ships on the tyres during their rally near the Russian embassy building in Kiev, Ukraine (EPA)

Russian politicians denounced Kiev, saying the incident looked like a calculated bid by Poroshenko to increase his popularity ahead of an election next year.

Late on Sunday, protestors took to the streets outside the Russian embassy in Kiev.

People were seen throwing flares during the rally.

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.

Additional reporting by AP.