Ukrainian parliament has voted to impose martial law for 30 days in wake of Russian seizure of Ukrainian vessels

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian parliament has voted to impose martial law for 30 days in wake of Russian seizure of Ukrainian vessels.</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Footage of the collision was posted by the Ukrainian interior minister

Ukraine's parliament has backed a presidential plan to impose martial law in part of the country after Russia captured three of its naval vessels and 23 crew members on Sunday.

President Petro Poroshenko said the 30-day order would affect border regions vulnerable to potential Russian attack.

Authorities can ban protests and strikes, and citizens could be called up for military duty.

Russia's President Putin expressed "serious concern" at the decision.

Russian coastguard ships opened fire on Sunday as three Ukrainian boats sailed off the coast of Crimea, annexed by Russian in 2014. Several Ukrainian sailors were wounded in what Ukraine described as an "act of aggression" by Russia.

Moscow said the ships had illegally entered its waters. Russian TV broadcast statements from some of the captured Ukrainian navy men on Tuesday. One commander was quoted as saying he realised his actions "were provocative" and Russian TV claimed the Ukrainian operation had been carried out by the SBU security service.

The naval clash is the first time Russia and Ukraine have come into open conflict in recent years, although Russian-backed separatists and Russian "volunteers" have been fighting Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

A number of Western countries condemned Russia's actions and President Poroshenko warned the threat of a Russian land invasion was "extremely serious".

In New York, the United Nations Security Council met to discuss the crisis - but failed to agree a Russian-proposed agenda amid sharp disagreements between Moscow and the West.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the seizure of Ukrainian ships was a "dangerous escalation and a violation of international law". President Donald Trump said: "We do not like what's happening, either way we don't like what's happening and hopefully they'll get straight."

Taking a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Vladimir Putin argued that the Ukrainians had "deliberately ignored the rules of peaceful passage in the territorial sea of the Russian Federation", the Kremlin said.

What will martial law mean?

After heated debate in Ukraine's parliament, 276 lawmakers backed a decision to impose martial law on 10 of Ukraine's 27 regions:

Five regions border Russian territory

Two regions border Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester region, where Russian troops are stationed

Three regions on the Black Sea/Sea of Azov coast

Thirty lawmakers voted against the move.

Martial law will enter into force at 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Wednesday and will end on 27 December.

Image copyright EPA Image caption President Poroshenko said the authorities needed firm power in case of a full-scale Russian invasion

Monday's vote in parliament came after an emotional address by President Poroshenko, who promised not to restrict basic freedoms. Some MPs expressed fears Mr Poroshenko could suspend a presidential poll on 31 March 2019 - a claim he firmly denied.

But he stressed he needed firm power in case of a full-scale Russian invasion.

Ukraine's national security and defence council had initially recommended a 60-day martial law.

But Mr Poroshenko said he amended the proposal because he did not want martial law to affect the presidential elections.

Still, critics expressed fears that Mr Poroshenko - whose ratings have plummeted in recent months - could suspend the elections to stay in power.

What happened on Sunday?

This is the chronology of the dramatic events that led to the naval clash:

In the morning, Ukraine said it had sent two gunboats and a tug from the Black Sea port of Odessa to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov

Ukraine's navy then said Russian boats had tried to intercept its vessels, ramming the tug

Russia accused Ukraine of illegally entering its territorial waters

Russia scrambled fighter jets and helicopters as the Ukrainian vessels approached a bridge over the Kerch Strait - the only access to the Sea of Azov

The bridge itself was blocked by a tanker

In the evening, Ukraine said its vessels had been fired on and seized by the Russians. Six Ukrainian crew members were injured

Russia confirmed it had used weapons to force the Ukrainian vessels to stop, saying three Ukrainians were injured

Russia said the Ukrainian ships were in its waters illegally because Moscow had temporarily closed an area of water for shipping.

Kiev called Russia's actions a flagrant violation of international law, because the Black Sea is free for shipping, and Crimea belongs to Ukraine.

Ukraine also cited a 2003 Russia-Ukraine treaty on unimpeded access to the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov.

It said it had informed the Russians in advance of its plan to move its ships to Mariupol - a claim denied by Russia.

In recent weeks, two Ukrainian vessels passed through the Kerch Straight without incident.

Why is this happening now?

There have been growing tensions between the two sides over navigation in the area.

Russia has recently begun inspecting all vessels sailing to or from Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jonah Fisher talks to a commander of the Ukrainian Navy about the tensions in the Azov Sea

This began after Ukraine detained a fishing vessel from Crimea in March. Moscow also says the checks are necessary for security reasons.

Ukraine has accused Russia of trying to occupy the Sea of Azov and damage Ukraine's economy by hindering access to its ports.

Why are relations so bad between Russia and Ukraine?

Ukraine gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

However, Russia considers a Western-leaning Ukraine a threat to its interests.

In 2014, Ukraine's pro-Russian leader was overthrown, after large-scale protests against the government's decision to abandon plans to sign an association agreement with the EU.

Russia then annexed Crimea, while Russia-backed separatists moved against the Ukrainian state in the east.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict in the east.</s>Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on Monday to introduce martial law for 60 days, a statement on his website said, though it needs parliamentary approval to come into force.

The decision came a day after Russia fired at and captured three Ukrainian vessels in Kerch Strait near Crimea, triggering a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries.

Poroshenko said he would impose martial law throughout the country from Wednesday but said his decree did not include restrictions on citizens' rights or postponing elections slated for next year.

In a televised address, he offered parliament the introduction of martial law for 30 days instead of the 60 days his security council had originally envisaged.

"I fulfilled my constitutional duty and a few hours ago, by my decree, I imposed martial law throughout Ukraine from 9 am on November 28," he said.

Ukrainian lawmakers voted later on Monday to back a proposal by President Petro Poroshenko to introduce martial law for a period of 30 days in areas of the country most vulnerable to an attack from Russia.

They also voted to confirm that Ukraine would hold presidential elections on March 31.

Separately, the International Monetary Fund said introducing martial law would have no bearing on continued IMF cooperation with Ukraine.

Russia invaded Crimea in 2014 in the aftermath of the turbulent period when Ukraine's pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled after weeks of pro-European protests.

It unilaterally annexed the peninsula after a referendum in March 2014, but failed to garner international support and recognition for the move while prompting the U.S. and the E.U. to impose sanctions.

The incident in Kerch Strait has raised fears of a wider military escalation and the U.N. Security Council was to hold an emergency session Monday. NATO also called an emergency meeting on the incident.

Ukraine's Western allies accused Russia of using force without justification, while Kiev urged its partners to impose further sanctions on Moscow.

"These were planned acts of aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine," Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told reporters in Kiev.

"We will demand (at the Security Council) the immediate release of our sailors and the liberation of our ships."

He said talks were underway, with the European Union and others, on increasing sanctions imposed on Russia.

Moscow insisted Kiev was to blame, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: "The Russian side acted strictly within both domestic and international law."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Kiev of a planned provocation and of using "dangerous methods" that put ships in the area at risk.

The crisis unfolded as two small Ukrainian warships and a tugboat were heading through the Kerch Strait, a waterway that gives access to the Sea of Azov from the Black Sea and which is used by both Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine said a Russian border guard vessel rammed the tugboat and then fired on the ships, immobilizing all three. It said the Kerch Strait was blocked by a tanker and that Russian military aircraft were flying over the area.

Russia's FSB security service, which oversees border forces, confirmed weapons had been fired and the vessels seized, accusing the Ukrainian ships of "violating the Russian border".

Ukraine said six of its servicemen were injured, two seriously. The FSB said only three had suffered non-life threatening injuries and were given medical treatment.

Russian news agencies quoted port officials in Crimea as saying the strait was reopened to traffic early on Monday.

The confrontation is a dangerous development in the long-running conflict pitting Ukraine against Moscow and Russian-backed rebels in the east of the country. More than 10,000 people have died in the fighting.

"I condemn Russian use of force in Azov Sea. Russian authorities must return Ukrainian sailors, vessels & refrain from further provocations," EU President Donald Tusk tweeted.

France also called on Russia to release the sailors and ships, with the foreign ministry saying "nothing appears to justify the use of force" by Russia.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said any Russian "blockade" of the Sea of Azov was "unacceptable".

Tensions have been building over the Kerch Strait, where Russia has built a new bridge that gives it a land connection to Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Kiev has accused Moscow of blocking access for Ukrainian ships through the strait, the only way in and out of the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.

In recent months both sides had deployed more naval and border vessels to the area.

"The incident marks a significant escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," research firm Eurasia Group said.

"Western governments will side with Ukraine against Russia over the incident... making new sanctions against Russia likely."

Poroshenko held a late-night meeting of his military cabinet, proposing the imposition of martial law in Ukraine "to ensure the security and safety of its citizens".

Eurasia Group said martial law could have wide-ranging domestic consequences, especially with a presidential election due in March and Poroshenko behind in opinion polls.

"Poroshenko did not take this kind of action during the worst of the conflict in 2014 and 2015. This raises concerns that... it could lead to postponement of the presidential election," it said.

Protesters gathered in several Ukrainian cities to denounce Russia's actions, with several hundred far-right activists marching to parliament in Kiev and setting off flares.</s>One of the key aspects of Ukrainian citizens lives that will be affected by martial law, is their right to participate in elections and referendums. The proposed martial law will last for 60 days, meaning that it will at least affect the presidential election campaign that is due to start in 2019, and, considering the law can be prolonged, may even affect the elections themselves, which are scheduled for 31 March 2019. In other words, President Petro Poroshenko will be able to keep his post as long as martial law lasts.

Same goes for the parliament, which can't be re-elected while martial law is in effect. If it lasts for little over a year, the elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which are to take place on 27 October 2019, will also be postponed. Furthermore, both the parliament and the president won't be able to amend the Ukrainian Constitution, including the clauses regarding martial law.

Although certain fundamental rights can't be alienated even during martial law, Ukrainians will still be stripped of some of their rights, apart from the right to vote. Namely, the government will be able to ban any gatherings, strikes, and protests if it considers them 'threatening'. Kiev will also be able to impose a curfew and limit citizens' movements across the country, if it deems it necessary.

In addition to all that, the government gains the right to expropriate any private property for military needs, although owners are eligible for compensation in such cases. Plus any person, eligible for military service can be immediately mobilised if the government demands it.

Also, Kiev will be able to command any plant or factory to switch production to a military footing for the duration of martial law. At the same time, working hours and conditions can also be altered by a government decree, although workers retain their right to rest and minimal pay.

Failure to abide by any of these demands and limitations is punishable just like as any violation of the regular law. The government can prolong martial law as long as it finds that the threat to the state's sovereignty or intergrity continues.</s>MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine on Monday imposed martial law for 30 days in parts of the country most vulnerable to an attack from Russia after President Petro Poroshenko warned of the “extremely serious” threat of a land invasion.

Poroshenko said martial law was necessary to bolster Ukraine’s defenses after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships and took their crew prisoner at the weekend.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he did not like what was happening between Russia and Ukraine and was working with European leaders on the situation.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Russia’s seizure of the Ukrainian vessels “a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law” and called for restraint from both countries.

“The United States condemns this aggressive Russian action. We call on Russia to return to Ukraine its vessels and detained crew members, and to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Pompeo said in a statement.

The State Department said Pompeo spoke by phone with Poroshenko and reiterated strong U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian “aggression”.

The Ukrainian parliament approved the introduction of martial law after Poroshenko reassured some skeptical lawmakers that it would not be used to curb civil liberties or delay elections scheduled for next year.

It came at the end of a day when Ukraine and Russia traded accusations about Sunday’s standoff and Kiev’s allies weighed in to condemn Moscow’s behavior.

With relations still raw after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and its backing for a pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine, the crisis risked pushing the two countries into open conflict.

“Russia has been waging a hybrid war against our country for a fifth year. But with an attack on Ukrainian military boats it moved to a new stage of aggression,” Poroshenko said.

In a phone call with Poroshenko, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg offered the alliance’s “full support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.” Ukraine is not a NATO member though it aspires to membership.

Washington’s envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Russia’s actions were an “outrageous violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory” and sanctions on Russia would remain in place.

The European Union, Britain, France, Poland, Denmark, and Canada all condemned what they called Russian aggression. German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the need for dialogue.

The stand-off in the Azov Sea is more combustible now than at any time in the past four years as Ukraine has rebuilt its armed forces, previously in disarray, and has a new generation of commanders who are confident and have a point to prove.

“It’s obvious that this painstakingly thought-through and planned provocation was aimed at igniting another source of tension in the region in order to create a pretext to ramp up sanctions against Russia,” it said in a statement.

Such a policy was “fraught with serious consequences,” it said, adding that Kiev was acting in coordination with the United States and the European Union.

Russia summoned the ranking diplomat at Kiev’s embassy in Moscow over the incident, the foreign ministry said.

In Kiev, Poroshenko said intelligence data suggested there was an “extremely serious threat” of a land-based operation against Ukraine by Russia.

“I have a document of intelligence in my hands ... Here on several pages is a detailed description of all the forces of the enemy located at a distance of literally several dozens of kilometers from our border. Ready at any moment for an immediate invasion of Ukraine,” he said.

Martial law would allow Ukraine to respond swiftly to any invasion and mobilize resources as quickly as possible, he said.

He dismissed “dirty speculation” by critics that he wanted to use the proposed measure to delay elections next year, where he faces a tough re-election fight and opinion polls show him trailing his opponents. Ukrainian lawmakers held a second vote to confirm the polls would take place as scheduled on March 31.

Russia's rouble currency RUB= weakened 1.4 percent against the dollar in Moscow on Monday, its biggest one-day fall since Nov. 9, while Russian dollar-bonds fell.

Markets are highly sensitive to anything that could trigger new Western sanctions, and therefore weaken the Russian economy. A fall in the price of oil LCOc1 - Russia’s biggest source of revenue - has made its economy more vulnerable.

The crisis erupted when border patrol boats belonging to Russia’s FSB security service seized two small Ukrainian armored artillery vessels and a tug boat after opening fire on them and wounding three sailors on Sunday.

The Ukrainian vessels had been trying to enter the Sea of Azov from the Black Sea via the narrow Kerch Strait that separates Crimea from the Russian mainland.

Interfax news agency quoted Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, as saying on Monday that 24 Ukrainian sailors were being detained. Three of the sailors were wounded but were not in a serious condition and were recovering in hospital.

The FSB said the Ukrainian ships had ignored warning shots, forcing Russian vessels to open fire for real, after they illegally entered Russian territorial waters.

A Reuters witness in Kerch, a port in Crimea, said the three Ukrainian vessels were being held there on Monday.

Domestic politics in Moscow also add to the combustibility of the situation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has seen his high approval rating fall because of unpopular domestic policies. In the past, successful military action beyond Russia’s borders has buoyed his popularity.

Tensions have long been brewing over the Azov Sea. Crimea, on the western shore, is now controlled by Moscow, the eastern shore is Russian territory, and the northern shore is controlled by Ukraine.</s>MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned Ukraine against any "reckless acts" after Kiev declared martial law in response to Moscow's seizure of three of its navy vessels.

The Ukrainian Parliament late Monday voted in favour of President Petro Poroshenko's request for the introduction of martial law in border areas for 30 days.

The move came after Russian forces fired on, boarded and captured three of Kiev's ships on Sunday off the coast of Crimea, sparking the most dangerous crisis between the ex-Soviet neighbours in years.

The incident was the first major confrontation at sea in the long-running conflict pitting Ukraine against Moscow and Russian-backed separatists in the country's east.

It has raised fears of a wider escalation, in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014, and prompted international calls for restraint.

Martial law gives Ukrainian authorities the power to mobilise citizens with military experience, regulate the media and restrict public rallies in affected areas.

In a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin expressed "serious concern" over its introduction, the Kremlin said in a statement.

He said he hoped Berlin could intervene with Ukrainian authorities "to dissuade them from further reckless acts".

Moscow has accused Kiev of planning Sunday's confrontation as a provocation aimed at drumming up support for Poroshenko ahead of elections next year and convincing Western governments to impose further sanctions on Russia.

SAILORS TO APPEAR IN COURT

Putin said Kiev's actions were "clearly taken in view of the election campaign in Ukraine".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday that Kiev's martial law threatened to cause an "escalation of tensions in the conflict region" in the east of the country.

Moscow has so far resisted calls to release the three ships or the 24 sailors it has detained.

Some of the sailors will face trial in Simferopol, the main city in Russian-annexed Crimea, on Tuesday, the peninsula's human rights ombudsman Lyudmila Lubina told AFP.

The rest are expected to face trial on Wednesday, she said, while three others were still in hospital after being wounded in the weekend clash.

Moscow accuses them of crossing illegally into Russian waters and of ignoring warnings from its border guards, with officials suggesting they could face criminal prosecution.

Sunday's incident has been playing out on Russian and Ukrainian television screens, with dramatic footage of Russian ships chasing down a Ukrainian tugboat that was trying to pass through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov.

Russian state television late on Monday aired footage of some of the captured sailors being questioned by Moscow's security services.

One of the sailors is heard saying "the actions of the Ukrainian armed vessels in the Kerch Strait had a provocatory character", parroting the version of events put forward by Russian authorities.

Ukraine's naval commander, Igor Voronchenko, said the sailors were pressured into giving false evidence.

"I know these sailors, they were always professional. What they are saying now is not true," he told Ukrainian media. "They (the Russians) could even say that we came from the sky on a spaceship."

Ukraine has accused Russian border patrol vessels of ramming the tugboat, which was accompanied by two small warships, and of firing on the Ukrainian vessels.

Western governments have rallied behind Kiev in the dispute, accusing Russia of illegally blocking access to the Sea of Azov and of taking military action without justification.

Britain, Canada, France, Germany and others expressed support for Kiev on Monday, with European Union (EU) President Donald Tusk calling for Russia to return the Ukrainian sailors and ships and "refrain from further provocations".

The foreign minister of Austria, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said Tuesday that the EU will next month consider further sanctions against Moscow over the flare-up.

Pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia on Tuesday denounced the reaction as "predictably anti-Russian".

The United Nations Security Council met in an emergency session on the crisis on Monday, where US envoy Nikki Haley called the seizure of the ships an "outrageous violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory."</s>The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has scheduled presidential election for March 31, 2019.

A total of 298 parliamentary members backed respective draft resolution, when 226 votes were enough to pass the decision, the Ukrainian News Agency reports.

 Calling of the next regular presidential election for the said date was one of the demands of a number of parliamentary factions during the voting for imposition of martial law.

 In compliance with the Law of Ukraine On Legal Regime Of Martial Law, holding presidential election under martial law is prohibited.

 As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Verkhovna Rada has approved imposition of martial law for the period of 30 days starting November 28, 9 a.m.</s>KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday he would propose that parliament declare martial law in the country after the Russian military attacked and seized three Ukrainian navy ships in the Black Sea.

He said the parliament on Monday could decide whether to approve martial law, which would restrict civil liberties and give state institutions greater power.</s>After intense debate, 276 lawmakers vote in favor of President Petro Poroshenko's request for martial law in border areas for 30 days

KIEV, Ukraine – Ukraine's parliament approved the introduction of martial law in border regions on Monday, November 26, as Russian state TV aired images of Ukrainian sailors captured after Moscow seized 3 of Kiev's ships in a confrontation at sea.

After intense debate, 276 lawmakers voted in favor of President Petro Poroshenko's request for martial law in border areas for 30 days.

The decision came after Russian forces boarded and captured Kiev's ships on Sunday, November 25, with Moscow accusing the vessels of illegally entering Russian waters off the coast of Crimea in the Sea of Azov.

Ukraine and its Western allies say Russia illegally blocked the strait and acted against international law by grabbing the vessels and sailors.

The martial law gives Ukrainian authorities the power to mobilize citizens with military experience, regulate the media and restrict public rallies.

Amid fears of a Russian ground offensive, Poroshenko had wanted the law to cover the entire country but it was limited to border regions after opposition from lawmakers.

Before the vote, Poroshenko had accused Moscow of a "new phase of aggression."

With Ukraine's military on high alert, images of several captured sailors were broadcast on Russia's state-run channel Rossiya 24 showing interrogations by Moscow's security services.

At one point, one of the sailors is heard saying that "the actions of the Ukrainian armed vessels in the Kerch Strait had a provocatory character" – parroting the version of events put forward by Russian authorities.

The incident has raised fears of a wider military escalation. The UN Security Council met in an emergency session, where US Ambassador Nikki Haley warned Russia against "outlaw actions".

US President Donald Trump later weighed in on the incident.

"We don't like what's happening and hopefully it will get straightened out. I know Europe is not – they are not thrilled. They're working on it too. We're all working on it together," Trump told reporters at the White House.

The confrontation is the latest dangerous development in the conflict pitting Ukraine against Moscow and Russian-backed rebels in the east of the country.

More than 10,000 people have been killed since the Moscow-backed insurgency broke out in April 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

The United States and EU have already imposed sanctions on Russia over the conflict and on Monday European capitals rallied behind Kiev.

Ukraine's Western allies accused Russia of using force without justification in the naval confrontation, while Kiev urged its partners to impose further sanctions on Moscow.

"These were planned acts of aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine," Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told reporters in Kiev.

Poroshenko accused Russia of taking the two countries' long-running conflict to another level.

The incident showed "the arrogant and open participation of regular units of Russian troops," he said in a television address to the nation, disparaging Moscow's insistence that its forces were not directly involved in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed Kiev, saying: "The Russian side acted strictly within both domestic and international law."

The crisis unfolded as two small Ukrainian warships and a tugboat were heading through the Kerch Strait, a waterway that gives access to the Sea of Azov from the Black Sea and which is used by both Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine said a Russian border guard vessel rammed the tugboat and then fired on the ships, immobilizing all 3. It said the Kerch Strait was blocked by a tanker and that Russian military aircraft were flying over the area.

Russia's FSB security service, which oversees border forces, confirmed weapons had been fired and the vessels seized, accusing the Ukrainian ships of "violating the Russian border".

Ukraine's interior minister released a video on Twitter apparently from aboard one of the Russian ships, showing the tugboat being chased down and the collision, interspersed with commands and swearing in Russian.

Russian television networks showed a similar video, but with the voices removed and without the moment of collision.

Ukraine said 6 of its servicemen were injured in the incident, two seriously. The FSB said only 3 had suffered non-life threatening injuries and were given medical treatment.

Russian officials said 24 Ukrainian servicemen had been detained and Peskov said a criminal investigation had been opened.

"I condemn Russian use of force in Azov Sea. Russian authorities must return Ukrainian sailors, vessels & refrain from further provocations," EU President Donald Tusk tweeted.

France also called on Russia to release the sailors and ships, with the foreign ministry saying "nothing appears to justify the use of force" by Russia.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said any Russian "blockade" of the Sea of Azov was "unacceptable" and proposed French-German mediation to resolve the crisis.

Tensions have been building over the Kerch Strait, where Russia has built a new bridge that gives it a land connection to Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Kiev has accused Moscow of blocking access for Ukrainian ships though the strait, the only way in and out of the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.

In recent months both sides had deployed more naval and border vessels to the area. – Rappler.com</s>Ukraine's Baptists have asked for prayer for their country as they face the prospect of martial law following renewed clashes with Russia.

Russia annexed Ukraine's territory of the Crimea in 2014 and has backed an insurgency in the east of the country. Now three Ukrainian naval vessels have been seized by Russia in the Black Sea, marking a escalation of the tension between the two nations. Ukraine said six crew members had been injured.

Russia has been accused of trying to limit Ukraine's access to strategically important ports.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has described Russian actions as 'unprovoked and crazy' has signed a decree requesting parliament to introduce martial law.

 He said that this did not mean a 'declaration of war', stressing that 'Ukraine does not plan to fight anyone'.

The Baptist Union of Ukraine asked churches around the world to pray for Ukraine as parliament meets later today to vote on the proposal to impose martial law.

It said: 'The situation is very serious. If martial law is imposed, it will change many things in our regular daily life in Ukraine. A bigger war is now more possible than ever before.

'We ask for your prayers for our situation in Ukraine.'
The Verkhovna Rada approves the introduction of martial law in 10 oblasts of Ukraine for a period of 30 days.