Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: This is the first time since 1991 that martial law is being declared. You did not declare it when Crimea was annexed in 2014 and nor did you declare it during the invasion and the ongoing war in Eastern Ukraine. Why are you taking this measure now?

PETRO POROSHENKO: Thank you very much for this opportunity to inform your viewers. And during the illegal annexation of the Crimea in the year 2014, I was not president and there was so-called green men without any signs of the Russian army who made an annexation of the Crimea where we had no president. And during the year 2014, during an aggressive operation, we have the special law about anti-federalist (ph) operation and we mobilized all the resources and do our best to protect our country against Russian aggression. But this is the first time which happening on the 25th of November where Putin is simply not hiding anymore, that that is his order to use the force and to openly shoot to Ukraine soldiers on the two light military boat and one attack boat. And this is the — under international law, this is clear and direct act of the aggression fully meet the criteria from the resolution of the United Nations.

AMANPOUR: OK.

POROSHENKO: And this is no explanation because I doubt many CNN viewers understand, this is happening in the Black Sea, in the neutral international waters. And this is the commander of our naval forces give the order to our naval boats to return back to their (INAUDIBLE) after the — there was an attack by the 10 Russian military vessels in the three miles from the Kerch Breach where we were under the instruction of the tour of the control of Kerch authorities where they wait for three hours for further instruction to stay in line and to go Mariupol on their route —

AMANPOUR: OK.

POROSHENKO: — way.

AMANPOUR: All right, Mr. President. Well, you pretty much described that you consider this a direct aggression by identified and official Russian military. So, that’s why you’re taking this step. The Kerch Bridge is the Kerch Strait —

POROSHENKO: Not only —

AMANPOUR: OK.

POROSHENKO: Not only because the Crimea is a part of the territory illegally annexed. And there is not existing any Russian 12-mile zone. We cannot violate those who are not existent.