Russia has said it had acted strictly within international law during a confrontation this weekend between Russian and Ukrainian navy ships in the Kerch Strait.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a daily press briefing in Moscow today that the Russian side acted strictly within both domestic and international law.

Russian navy vessels fired on, boarded and captured three Ukrainian naval ships on Monday, accusing them of illegally entering Russian waters off the coast of Crimea in the Sea of Azov.

The confrontation at sea has raised fears of a wider military escalation and the UN Security Council was to hold an emergency session later today to consider a response.