Ukraine bans Russian men aged 16-60 from entering country

Restrictions taken to prevent "private armies" forming on Ukrainian soil, country's president says

Ukraine has banned Russian men of military age from entering the country for the duration of its state of martial law.

The move comes as the long-simmering conflict between the two nations escalated in the Black Sea on Sunday.

Russian border guards opened fire on and captured three Ukrainian vessels and their 24-member crew.

President Petro Poroshenko said the measures would stop Russia implanting “private army units … that are in fact subdivisions of the Russian army”.

Russia says the Ukrainians had violated its border while Ukraine says its ships were acting in line with international maritime rules.

Head of the border service Petr Tsigikal said his agency had been put on the highest alert and would apply checks to the entry of all foreigners, not only Russians.

There would be exceptions, but only for humanitarian reasons like funerals, he said.

The news comes on the back of other restrictions announced in connection with the application of martial law across 10 border regions this week.

On Thursday, Kiev announced that it would deny foreigners the right to enter Crimea via Ukraine. This means the only way of travelling to Crimea is via Russia, which Ukraine considers to be illegal. It is unclear whether exceptions will be made.

Friday’s measures are likely to complicate the lives of many living in border regions, especially those with relatives in Russia. Mr Poroshenko insisted the imposition of martial law would not affect the civic rights of Ukrainians.

The blanket travel ban would seem to be one area where that is not entirely true.

The Tass news agency on Friday quoted Russian government-appointed ombudswoman Lyudmila Lubina as saying the vessels’ commanders are being transferred to Moscow for interrogation. The other 21 remain in custody in Crimea.

A Crimea court earlier this week ruled to keep the Ukrainian seamen behind bars for two months pending the investigation.

Mr Poroshenko has urged Nato to deploy warships to the Sea of Azov, while Russia warned that would worsen tensions.

Donald Trump has cancelled a planned meeting with Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Argentina citing Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian vessels.

Critics suggested the US president’s abrupt decision not to meet his Russian counterpart was linked to domestic developments after his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, revealed he had lied to Congress to cover up the fact he was negotiating a real estate deal in Moscow on Mr Trump’s behalf during the Republican presidential primary in 2016.

Theresa May also hit out at Mr Putin’s aggression in Ukraine ahead of the Buenos Aires summit.

The prime minister called on Russia to “release the ships and the sailors” it had seized after the clashes off the coast of its neighbour.

Additional reporting by agencies