Ukraine Bars Russian Men Between 16 and 60

Ukrainian officials have barred Russian males between the ages of 16 and 60 from traveling to the country in the latest escalation of tensions between the neighbors. Petro Tsygykal, chief of the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, announced at a security meeting on Friday that all Russian males between 16 and 60 will be barred from traveling to the country while martial law is in place, the AP reports. President Petro Poroshenko told the meeting that the measures were taken "in order to prevent the Russian Federation from forming private armies" on Ukrainian soil.

The long-simmering conflict bubbled over Sunday when Russian border guards rammed into and opened fire on three Ukrainian vessels near the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. The vessels were trying to pass through the Kerch Strait on their way to the Sea of Azov. The Russians then captured the ships and their 24-member crew. The announcement follows Thursday's decision by President Trump to scrap a much-anticipated meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Trump said it isn't appropriate for him to meet with Putin since Russia hasn't released the Ukrainian seamen. (Putin has accused Poroshenko of provoking the incident to boost his popularity.)

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