PARIS, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- France on Monday asked Russia to release three Ukrainian naval ships it had seized near the Kerch Strait and the crew on board, calling on Moscow and Kiev to show restraint and avoid escalating military action.
"France expresses its deep concern about the serious maritime incidents that occurred yesterday between Russia and Ukraine in the Kerch Strait," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"We urge Russia to release the Ukrainian sailors and hand back the seized naval vessels as soon as possible," it added.
"Nothing appears to have justified the use of force by Russia," noted the statement, which also called on Russia "to respect freedom of passage in the Kerch Strait and sailing in the waters of the Sea of Azov," reiterating its full support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
The Ukrainian Navy said on Sunday that Russian forces opened fire on Ukrainian vessels near the Kerch Strait, which separates the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, damaging two vessels and forcefully stopping another one.
Six Ukrainian military sailors were wounded in the attack and two of them were in serious condition, according to the Ukrainian Navy.
Moscow rejects such accusations, saying that Crimea is part of Russia, which can exercise its sovereign rights in nearby waters, and the Kerch Strait is not an international passage.
Russia said the Ukrainian navy breached the Russian border, and conducted dangerous maneuvers in spite of its orders.
Violent clashes overshadowed Russia-Ukraine relations since Moscow had annexed Crimea in 2014 following a local referendum in March 2014, but Kiev and the West rejected the results.
Tensions mounted a notch after Russia inaugurated a bridge over the Kerch Strait in May this year and started inspecting commercial ships sailing through the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Monday proposed that parliament impose a 60-day martial law in the country, while saying "Ukraine does not plan to fight anyone" over tensions with Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that the UN Security Council will meet to discuss the incident later in the day.
