A major escalation between Russia and Ukraine developed at the coast of Crimea.
The Ukrainian navy is accusing Russia of opening fire and taking three of its vessels on Sunday night.
The Russian FSB border guards confirmed it seized the ships, claiming they had sailed illegally into Russian territorial waters.
It has happened around Kerch Strait around Crimea between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian authorities closed off this Strait which typically sees quite a bit of traffic.
The Ukrainian military says 6 of its navy personnel were injured and damaged two armored artillery boats in that confrontation.
Russian petrol vessels were trying but failing to intercept a number of Ukrainian vessels as they move from the Black Sea through a very tight Kerch Strait into the sea of Azov.
Also, one of the Russian ships rammed into a navy Ukrainian tugboat, but the Ukrainian vessel was able to intercept.
There was another incident which set to an actual firing on Ukrainian vessels.
It was an immensely volatile situation that was unfolding in this strategic Kerch Strait, a waterway that links the Azov Sea with the Black Sea, which is home to two of Ukraine’s most important ports.
Near the bridge over the Kerch Strait, Russian military ships were deployed and fighter jets and military helicopters were seen patrolling overhead all through the day.
Ukraine denied its ships had done anything wrong and accused Russia of military aggression.
In a statement by the Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko said, “I want to emphasize separately that we have all irrefutable evidence that this aggression, this attack on the Ukrainian Navy’s warships was not a mistake, not an accident, but a deliberate action.”
Russia has claimed waters around Crimea since it annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.
-Harleen Sandhu
