In the event of a large-scale Russian attack, the Ukrainian authorities will ask Ankara to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits to Russian ships.

The statement came from Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar in a comment to Reuters, PRAVDA.com reports .

According to him, Kiev considers the presence of Russian warships on the Black Sea coast near Ukraine a threat.

“Ukraine will ask Ankara to consider closing its two straits to Russian ships in the event of a Moscow invasion,” the ambassador was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Ankara does not recognize Russia’s steps against Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Erdoğan also said that Turkey could not give up its ties with Russia or Ukraine.

It should be reminded that in the early morning of 24 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a message announcing the decision to launch a special military operation in Donbas.

“Circumstances require us to take decisive and immediate action. The Donbass People’s Republics have appealed to Russia. “I have decided to launch a special military operation in this regard,” Putin said in a televised address to Russian citizens.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that from 05:00 (07:00 Yerevan time) on Thursday, the Russian Armed Forces carried out intensive attacks on Ukrainian military facilities and airports.

The Verkhovna Rada has declared martial law in Ukraine.