Ukraine's military confirmed on Monday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-confirms-putin-to-take-part-in-ukrainian-peace-summit-in-paris-262934">Russia is returning three Ukrainian naval ships </a>that it captured in the Kerch Strait in November 2018.

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier on Monday that Moscow had successfully handed three naval ships it captured last year back to Ukraine.

Ukraine has been pushing for their return as a goodwill gesture from Moscow ahead of a four-way peace summit on eastern Ukraine next month in Paris.

More than 13,000 people have been killed in the more than five-year-old conflict in east Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, which prompted Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won a landslide election victory in April promising to end the conflict.

Ukraine's military confirmed on Monday that Russia is returning three Ukrainian naval ships that it captured in the Kerch Strait in November 2018. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier on Monday that Moscow had successfully handed three naval ships it captured last year back to Ukraine.

Ukraine's military confirmed on Monday that Russia is returning three Ukrainian naval ships that it captured in the Kerch Strait in November 2018. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier on Monday that Moscow had successfully handed three naval ships it captured last year back to Ukraine. Ukraine has been pushing for their return as a goodwill gesture from Moscow ahead of a four-way peace summit on eastern Ukraine next month in Paris. More than 13,000 people have been killed in the more than five-year-old conflict in east Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces. Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, which prompted Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won a landslide election victory in April promising to end the conflict.

Ukraine confirms Russia returning three captured naval ships

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday he could not rule out a full-scale Russian invasion after the military reported the worst violence in the pro-Moscow separatist east for a year. 
 
Military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said insurgent attacks had doubled from the previous day as tensions between Kiev and Moscow soared over Kremlin charges last week that Ukraine plotted to stage armed incursions into Russian-annexed Crimea. 
 
&quot;The last time we witnessed a similar intensity of fire using heavy armaments was a year ago,&quot; he told reporters in Kiev. 
 
Poroshenko responded to the violence by sending his top army commander into the conflict zone, and warned that he could &quot;not exclude a full-scale Russian invasion (of Ukraine) along all fronts&quot;. 
 
&quot;The likelihood of the conflict&#39;s escalation remains very high,&quot; the Ukrainian leader said in televised remarks from the western city of Lviv. 
 
Poroshenko added that a further escalation may force him to introduce &quot;martial law and a mobilisation&quot; of reserve forces. 
 
Moscow did not immediately respond to Poroshenko&#39;s comments. 
 
Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of trying to escalate a 28-month conflict in the country&#39;s rust belt that has claimed more than 9,500 lives and began just weeks after Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula in March 2014. 
 
(AFP) 
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'The likelihood of the conflict's escalation remains very high,' he said in televised remarks

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday he could not rule out a full-scale Russian invasion after the military reported the worst violence in the pro-Moscow separatist east for a year. Military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said insurgent attacks had doubled from the previous day as tensions between Kiev and Moscow soared over Kremlin charges last week that Ukraine plotted to stage armed incursions into Russian-annexed Crimea. "The last time we witnessed a similar intensity of fire using heavy armaments was a year ago," he told reporters in Kiev. Poroshenko responded to the violence by sending his top army commander into the conflict zone, and warned that he could "not exclude a full-scale Russian invasion (of Ukraine) along all fronts". "The likelihood of the conflict's escalation remains very high," the Ukrainian leader said in televised remarks from the western city of Lviv. Poroshenko added that a further escalation may force him to introduce "martial law and a mobilisation" of reserve forces. Moscow did not immediately respond to Poroshenko's comments. Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of trying to escalate a 28-month conflict in the country's rust belt that has claimed more than 9,500 lives and began just weeks after Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula in March 2014. (AFP)

Ukraine President Poroshenko warns of 'full-scale Russian invasion'

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Ukraine confirms Russia returning three captured naval ships

Ukraine President Poroshenko warns of 'full-scale Russian invasion'