Ukraine Calls Up Reservists Amid Rising Tensions With Russia

Petro Poroshenko meeting troops on a military training exercise (Picture: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine).

Ukraine's president has announced a call-up of reservists amid tensions with Russia.

Relations between the two neighbours have strained further following the incident on 25 November in which Russia fired upon and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and their crews.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko responded by introducing martial law for 30 days in much of Ukraine.

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Mr Poroshenko said on Monday that reservists will be summoned for training as part of martial law.

He also said that some military units will be redeployed to strengthen the nation's defences.

Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for the naval incident that further escalated the tug-of-war that began in 2014 when Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and supported separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.