Russia says Ukraine's Navy threatened Russian ships at the Kerch Strait with artillery guns

Ukrainian naval vessels entered the Kerch Strait and threatened to fire on Russia’s Coast Guard, according to an official statement by Russia's Federal Security Service.

After the Russian authorities refused to allow the Ukrainian convoy to pass through the Kerch Strait into the Azov Sea, the Ukrainian ships allegedly uncovered their artillery guns, and raised them to 45 degrees, aiming at the fleet of Russian vessels.

Moscow says Sunday’s conflict, which ended in Russia’s pursuit and seizure of three Ukrainian ships, was a planned “provocation” by Kyiv. When seizing the ships, Russian officials opened fire, injuring at least three Ukrainian sailors.

At a special meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday, Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, said the FSB detained two Ukrainian Security Service officers aboard one of the seized ships. The men were reportedly on “special assignment.”