Following Russian naval attack, Ukraine declares martial law

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. — (Image credit: Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images)

Citing "growing aggression" from Russia, Ukraine's parliament voted on Monday to impose martial law.

On Sunday, there was conflict off the Crimean Peninsula, with Russia opening fire on three Ukrainian vessels, then seizing the ships and their crews. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, but Ukraine still claims the peninsula as part of its territory. Russia accused Ukraine of making an unauthorized trip through Russian waters, an allegation Ukraine denied.

Lawmakers approved Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's proposal to declare martial law, voting to impose it for 30 days. Poroshenko said he's received intelligence regarding "a highly serious threat of a ground operation against Ukraine," and stressed that "martial law doesn't mean declaring a war. It is introduced with the sole purpose of boosting Ukraine's defense in the light of a growing aggression from Russia." The European Union, Germany, and NATO have all called on Russia and Ukraine to de-escalate the situation.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.