Martial law was imposed in Ukraine for 30 days as president Petro Poroshenko warned of the “extremely serious” threat of a Russian land invasion.
The parliament voted in favour of the measure on Monday night in response to the capture of three Ukrainian navy vessels and twenty-three crew members by Russian ships near the Kerch Strait.
Russia’s actions were also condemned at emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, where US representative Nikki Haley described the incident as an “outrageous violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory.”
The secretary-general of Nato, Jens Stoltenberg, also said there was “no justification” for the seizure of the Ukrainian ships and sailors.
Meanwhile there there violent protests in Kiev and demonstrations outside Russian embassies across the world, including in London, Washington DC and Brussels.
It marked an escalation of tensions that have soared since Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backed a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine said its vessels were heading to the Sea of Azov in line with international maritime rules, while Russia charged that they had failed to obtain a permission to pass through the Kerch Strait separating Crimea from the Russian mainlan
It is the only passage between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. It is spanned by a 11.8 mile bridge that Russia completed this year.
While a 2003 treaty designates the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov as shared territorial waters, Russia has sought to assert greater control over the passage since the annexation of Crimea.
The seizure of the Ukrainian ships followed a tense situation in which the three Ukrainian vessels were manoeuvring near the Kerch Strait for hours shadowed by Russian coast guard boats.
Following the capture of the Ukrainian ships on Sunday, Russia closed the Kerch Strait for sea traffic by positioning a tanker under the bridge spanning it. It reopened the route early Monday.
If you want to read how the situation developed, please read our live coverage below.
Hello and welcome to The Independent's coverage of the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow seized three Ukrainian boats on Sunday, much to the alarm of the international community.
It came following a shoot-out in the Black Sea near the Crimean peninsula, prompting the UN Security Council to call an emergency meeting.
The Russian coastguard opened fire on two artillery boats and a tug belonging to Ukraine which it claimed had made an unauthorised passage through Russia’s waters.
Two of the craft, the Berdyansk and the Nikopol, were damaged.
The three Ukrainian naval vessels seized by Russia off the coast of Crimea are being held at the Black Sea peninsula's port of Kerch, a witness has said.
People in naval-style uniforms could be seen around the vessels, which bore no sign of damage, the witness said.
A senior German official is calling on Russia and Ukraine to deescalate tensions after Russian coast guard ships fired on Ukrainian navy vessels.
Michael Roth, a deputy foreign minister, tells radio the matter is "very dangerous — the last thing we need is a further escalation in relations between Russia and Ukraine".
Mr Roth says he did not have any information of his own on the incident "but it is clear that Russia, in accordance with international law, must ensure unhindered access to Ukrainian harbors in the Sea of Azov."
He added that "both sides must now deescalate" and avoid a spiral of tensions that "could ultimately lead to terrible consequences".
Turkey has said it is worried by reports of Ukrainian ships had been fired on that shipping in the Crimean peninsula 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.
It also called for avoiding steps that could endanger stability and peace in the region.
Here's all you need to know about the politics of Russia's manoeuvres in the Black Sea, and why it could prove convenient to both Moscow and Kiev.
Why Russia seizing Ukraine's warships could prove convenient for both countries
Analysis: Poroshenko and Putin may both benefit from Sunday's militaristic turn in the Azov SeaRussia has breached international rules through its aggressive behaviour towards Ukrainian naval ships in the Azov Sea, Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
"With full force we condemn Russia's aggressive behaviour and we call on (the country's) leadership to respect international law," the ministry said in a statement.
Russia reopened the Kerch Strait near Crimea to shipping in the early hours of Monday morning.
Moscow had previously blocked the Kerch Strait near Russia-annexed Crimea to stop ships from passing from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov.
The Kremlin said a small flotilla of three ships had not notified it of its plans in advance and ignored warnings to stop while manoeuvring dangerously.
Here's video footage of a Russian vessel ramming the Ukrainian tugboat - one of three ships seized by Russian authorities in the Black Sea.
Video shows Russian ship ram Ukranian tugboat in Black Sea
Naval clashes near Kerch Strait prompt Petro Poroshenko to propose martial lawRussia's foreign ministry has accused Ukraine of deliberately provoking an incident in the Kerch Strait.
Moscow will summon a senior Ukrainian diplomat to complain about the incident, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on state television.
Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu has said the milittary alliance is calling for "restraint and de-escalation" overt the incident in the Black Sea.
She said Nato supports Ukraine's "navigational rights in its territorial waters" and calls on Russia "to ensure unhindered access to Ukrainian ports in the Azov Sea, in accordance with international law".
Nato headquarters declined to say whether its ambassadors would meet to discuss the incident, but the alliance is in contact with Ukrainian authorities.
Ukraine's president is demanding Russia immediately release Ukrainian sailors and ships seized in the standoff in the Black Sea.
At a meeting of Ukraine's national security council, Petro Poroshenko said "we demand that they are urgently turned over to the Ukrainian side" and called for a "de-escalation" of the crisis around Crimea.
A Russian blockade of the Sea of Azov is unacceptable and developments there are alarming, German foreign minister Heiko Maas has said on Twitter, urging both sides to de-escalate the conflict.
"Developments in Ukraine are worrying," Mr Maas said.
Dozens of far-right protesters are burning tires outside the Russian consulate in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv to protest the seizure of Ukrainian ships off Crimea.
The protest was organized by the National Corps party, which also called for a demonstration in front of president Petro Poroshenko's office in the capital, Kiev. The group argues Mr Poroshenko is not aggressive enough against Russia. The group is small but can put pressure on the president.
In addition to the Lviv protests, far-right group C14 published photos on Facebook of a car with Russian diplomatic plates on fire in front of the Russian Embassy in Kiev.
The European Union and Nato called for restraint from both sides after the Russian coast guard fired on Ukrainian navy vessels near the Kerch Strait and then seized them. The Ukrainian navy said six of its seamen were wounded.
Russia and Ukraine traded blame over the incident.
Council of Europe issues statement saying free passage of Kirch Strait 'must be respected'.
A statement issued overnight by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reads: "Following the decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine concerning the implementation of the martial law, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has ordered to place the AFU units on full alert."
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told Russian news agencies on Monday the incident was a "dangerous provocation" by Ukraine "which deserves special attention and careful investigation".
Senior officials from Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France are meeting in Berlin and will seek to forge a common solution to renewed tensions between Moscow and Kiev, a German Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Russia is resisting international calls to release three Ukrainian naval ships that its border patrols had fired on and seized near Crimea at the weekend.
"Today, by chance - it was planned long in advance - political directors are meeting here in Berlin in the Normandy format to discuss the situation in Ukraine and progress in the Minsk process," the ministry spokesman said, with reference to the format under which the four countries meet.
"Of course, this forum will be used to discuss the weekend's events and to find a collective solution," he added.
In other Russia-related news, a senior Russian diplomat has warned a planned US withdrawal from a Cold War-era arms control pact could critically upset stability in Europe.
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said if the US deploys intermediate range missiles in Europe after opting out of the treaty banning their use, it will allow Washington to reach targets deep inside Russia.
Donald Trump declared his intention last month to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty over alleged Russian violations. Moscow has denied breaching the pact and accused Washington of violating it.
Mr Ryabkov warned if the US stations the currently banned missiles in Europe, Russia will have to mount an "efficient response," adding that "no one will benefit from those developments".
Here's a report from AP covering all the latest developments:
Ukraine's president has demanded Russia immediately release Ukrainian sailors and ships seized in a standoff around Crimea that sharply escalated tensions between the two countries and drew international concern.
The two neighbors have been locked in a tense tug-of-war since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, but the incident late Sunday in which Russian coast guard ships fired on Ukrainian navy vessels near the Kerch Strait directly pitted the two militaries, placing them on the verge of an open conflict.
Ukrainian lawmakers were set to consider a presidential request for the introduction of martial law in the country later on Monday.
The Ukrainian navy said six of its seamen were wounded when Russian coast guards opened fire on three Ukrainian ships near the Kerch Strait and then seized them.
Russia's Federal Security Service that is in charge of the coast guard said that three Ukrainian sailors were lightly injured and given medical assistance. It said the Ukrainian boats were towed to the nearby port of Kerch.
An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was also called for Monday. The European Union and NATO called for restraint from both sides.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said at a meeting of Ukraine's national security council Monday 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.
Poroshenko had a phone call Monday with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the situation. NATO later said that at Poroshenko's request its ambassadors and Ukraine's envoy will hold emergency talks in Brussels later Monday.
NATO said Stoltenberg expressed the U.S.-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."
Russia and Ukraine have traded blame over the incident that further escalated tensions that have soared since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backed a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine said its vessels were heading to the Sea of Azov in line with international maritime rules, while Russia charged that they had failed to obtain permission to pass through the Kerch Strait separating Crimea from the Russian mainland.
The narrow strait is the only passage between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. It's spanned by a 19-kilometer (11.8-mile) bridge that Russia completed this year.
The two neighbors have been locked in a tense tug-of-war since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, but the incident late Sunday in which Russian coast guard ships fired on Ukrainian navy vessels near the Kerch Strait directly pitted the two militaries, placing them on the verge of an open conflict.
Ukrainian lawmakers were set to consider a presidential request for the introduction of martial law in the country later on Monday.
The Ukrainian navy said six of its seamen were wounded when Russian coast guards opened fire on three Ukrainian ships near the Kerch Strait and then seized them.
Russia's Federal Security Service that is in charge of the coast guard said that three Ukrainian sailors were lightly injured and given medical assistance. It said the Ukrainian boats were towed to the nearby port of Kerch.
An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was also called for Monday. The European Union and NATO called for restraint from both sides.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said at a meeting of Ukraine's national security council Monday 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.
Poroshenko had a phone call Monday with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the situation. NATO later said that at Poroshenko's request its ambassadors and Ukraine's envoy will hold emergency talks in Brussels later Monday.
NATO said Stoltenberg expressed the U.S.-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."
Russia and Ukraine have traded blame over the incident that further escalated tensions that have soared since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backed a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine said its vessels were heading to the Sea of Azov in line with international maritime rules, while Russia charged that they had failed to obtain permission to pass through the Kerch Strait separating Crimea from the Russian mainland.
The narrow strait is the only passage between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. It's spanned by a 19-kilometer (11.8-mile) bridge that Russia completed this year.
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