President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko Tuesday warned of the threat of “full-scale war” and said Russia had sharply increased its military presence on their shared border as tensions have reached their most dangerous moment in years.
The president told in an interview with national television: “I don’t want anyone to think this is fun and games. Ukraine is under threat of full-scale war with Russia.”
He spoke after Russian forces seized three of Kiev’s ships off the coast of Crimea on Sunday and captured 24 Ukrainian sailors.
Twelve of the sailors were ordered to be held in pre-trial detention for two months by a court in the city of Simferopol in Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. More are to appear before the court on Wednesday.
Kyiv has demanded the release of the sailors and urged Western allies to impose further sanctions on Moscow.
The clash of Sunday is the first time Russia and Ukraine have come into open conflict in recent years, although Ukrainian forces have been fighting Russian-backed separatists and Russia volunteers in the east since 2014.
> Shiuly Rina
Ukraine President Threats Russia of 'Full-Scale War'
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