Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said on Monday he is closely monitoring the situation in the Kerch Strait near Crimea after Russian patrol boats opened fire on and seized two small Ukrainian artillery vessels and a tugboat on Sunday.
Niinistö called for a response from the international community to the incident, which is widely considered the most serious clash in years between Moscow and Kiev. Ukraine’s navy said that six sailors were injured in Sunday’s altercation.
After the incident unfolded off the coast of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, the two countries have accused one another of provocation and violating international agreements.
Many fear the incident could mark an escalation into a full-scale war between the countries.
Niinistö calls for emergency Security Council meeting
On Monday Niinistö said he is closely monitoring the situation and has been in contact with Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Foreign Minister Timo Soini about the situation.
Niinistö said that he expects Russia to comply with agreements the country made to permit free movement of ships in the Kerch Strait as well as to release the Ukranian vessels and their crew.
“The instability in the region has continued for a long time and the risk of escalation is high. That is why it is of paramount importance that the international community responds to the events without delay,” Niinistö said in a release issued by his office on Monday.
Niinistö also said an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as well as an independent international analysis of the incident are required to ensure a rapid stabilisation of the situation in the region.
On Monday morning Soini issued a brief statement about the matter via the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' Twitter account.
"Deeply concerned on risen tensions in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait. Need to avoid escalation of the situation. Important to restore free navigation at the Kerch Strait, release captured vessels and their crew, and respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the minister said on Twitter.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced late on Sunday that the Security Council will convene on the matter on Monday. According to diplomatic sources, Ukraine and Russia also requested that an exceptional security council meeting be held.
Russia had earlier blocked the Kerch Strait to stop ships from passing from the Black sea to the Sea of Azov, according to Reuters. FSB, Russia's security service, said that the small Ukrainian flotilla had not notified Russia of its plans and ignored warnings to stop, according to the news agency.