Ukraine says Russian forces controlling the strategic region of Crimea are demanding that the crew of two Ukrainian warships must surrender, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Maksim Prauta said four Russian navy ships were blocking Ukraine's anti-submarine warship Ternopil and the command ship Slavutych in Sevastopol's harbor.
He said the Russians ordered the crew to surrender within the hour or face Russians storming and seizing the ships and crew.
Reuters subsequently reported that the Russian Black Sea fleet says it has no plans to launch an assault on Ukrainian military units in Crimea.