The Ukrainian military said that Russian boats had opened fire on and seized three of its ships near Crimea, escalating a standoff over the Kerch Strait, a waterway that links the Azov Sea with the Black Sea. In a statement, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said the small gunboats Berdyansk and Nikopol and the tugboat Yana Kapu were attacked.
![Ukraine says Russia opened fire on its naval vessels](https://i0.wp.com/militaryleak.mystagingwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ukraine-says-russia-opened-fire-on-its-naval-vessels-1.jpg?resize=625%2C348&ssl=1)