Ukraine bans entry to Russian adult men: Border service chief

Ukraine has banned Russian adult men aged 16-60 years from entering Ukraine, the head of the border service Petro Tsygykal said in a televised meeting on Friday.

“Today, the entry of foreigners is limited - primarily citizens of the Russian Federation - non-admission of citizens of the Russian Federation aged from 16 to 60, male,” Tsygykal said.

Ukraine imposed martial law this week, citing fears that Russia was planning a full-scale invasion after Russian vessels fired on and captured Ukrainian ships last weekend.

The incident happened on Sunday when two Ukrainian gunboats and a tug were sailing from Odessa to the port of Mariupol, in the Sea of Azov - which is shared between Russia and Ukraine.

The 24 captured Ukrainian sailors have now been given two months in pre-trial detention by a court in Crimea.

While Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier accused Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko of orchestrating a naval “provocation” in the Black Sea at the weekend in order to boost his popularity ratings before an election next year.