"All three vessels have been seized. They are being convoyed to the port of Kerch," Lozovoy told reporters. According to the FSB spokesman, a criminal case has been initiated under Russian Criminal Code Article 322.3 (illegal crossing of the state border). Three slightly wounded Ukrainian soldiers have received medical assistance, Lozovoy added.
First Deputy Chair of the Russian parliament upper chamber's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Dzhabarov, told Sputnik that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko could have orchestrated the provocation in an attempt to boost his approval ratings ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
"All of this has been orchestrated by Poroshenko, who is lagging behind in the [presidential] election [campaign]. His goal is to introduce the state of emergency in Ukraine to cancel the elections or set up all Ukrainians against Russia in order to try to improve his approval rating with the help of a new wave of anti-Russia sentiments," Dzhabarov said.
Earlier in the day, Poroshenko advocated for the imposition of martial law in Ukraine, saying that "the decision does not provide for immediate mobilization, but training of the primary reserve pool will be conducted."
Meanwhile, Russia has requested an urgent meeting of UN Security Council members at 11 a.m. on Monday (16.00 GMT) to discuss the situation in the Kerch Strait.
