プレイ中次
In response to the Kerch Strait spat, Ukraine's government imposed 30 days of martial law<\/a>, which started Wednesday, across 10 regions bordering Russia to the east, and the Black and Azov seas to the south.<\/p>\n Ukraine called the incident \"an act of aggression,\" but Russia maintains that the Ukrainian ships had trespassed in its waters.<\/p>\n The peninsula is strategically important to Russia and the country has a naval base in Crimea.<\/p>\n Moscow's Black Sea Fleet is based in the city of Sevastopol and after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine allowed Russia to continue its naval operations there.<\/p>\n The base gives Russia access to wider waters in the region.<\/p>\n Relations between Kyiv and Moscow have been tense since Crimea became part of Ukraine after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and it's reported the region still has a large Russian population.<\/p>\n The Kerch Strait lies between Russia and Crimea and is a gateway into the Sea of Azov.<\/p>\n Both countries have the right to patrol the waters and it is the site of a new Russian bridge<\/a>, connecting Russia to Crimea.<\/p>\n It is vital to both countries as it separates the Crimean peninsula from the Russian mainland and is an important waterway connecting the Black and Azov seas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ukraine has responded to tensions in Crimea by cutting ties with Russia and asking the West for support.<\/p>\n President Poroshenko said the international community must not accept Russia's aggressive policy, in an interview with German newspaper Bild.<\/p>\n \"First it was Crimea, then eastern Ukraine, now he wants the Sea of Azov,\" Poroshenko said.<\/p>\n Poroshenko warned on national television on Tuesday of a full-scale war with Russia.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want anyone to think this is fun and games. Ukraine is under threat of full-scale war with Russia,\" Poroshenko said.<\/p>\n In a further move, Ukraine banned the entry of Russian men<\/a> aged 16-60 to prevent the forming of \"private armies\" on Ukranian soil.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Putin said his forces were right to move in on the vessels, accusing Ukraine of illegally entering its waters.<\/p>\n He said Poroshenko was creating a naval \u201cprovocation\u201d to boost his ratings ahead of presidential elections in the country in 2019.<\/p>\n Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the international committee of Russia's Federation Council, said Moscow is not interested in military action with Ukraine and warned<\/a> that tensions would escalate only if initiated by Kyiv, insisting a confrontation \"will never happen on Russia's instigation.\"<\/p>\nWhy has Russia targeted Crimea and why is the region important?<\/h2>
Where is the Kerch Strait and why is it important to Russia and Ukraine?<\/strong><\/h2>
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What have Russia and Ukraine said about the tensions?<\/h2>