Russian forces take big number of Ukrainian navy sailors prisoner after Kerch Strait clash – Details

On Sunday afternoon, Russian forces confronted Ukrainian military ships attempting to illegally (i.e. without permission) enter Russian waters in the strategic and high-contested Kerch Strait area.

The resulting clash saw Russian forces neutralize and then take possession of three Ukrainian military ships – two of them classified as “armored artillery boats” according to official statements.

In the last hour, official Ukrainian sources clarified that the three seized vessels had between them some 23 service personnel which have now fallen into Russian custody. Apparently six of the navy sailors are wounded, two of them “badly”.

Following the clash, the Ukrainian government declared a 60-day state of martial law (incorrectly reported by some sources as literally “state of war”); the extent to which emergency laws will apply, nationwide or local to the incident area, is unclear.

Read More : Russia release official statement on Kerch Strait clash, confirm casualties

For its part, Russia has called an emergency UN Security Council meeting in order to officially discuss at an international level the events that took place in the Kerch Strait on Sunday.