The explosive intervention was made by Ukrainian journalist Anna Korbut, who insisted her president’s decision to impose martial law had been met with criticism “in both constituencies”. President Poroshenko has been accused of “deliberately exaggerating the Russian threat”. But Ms Korbut refuted those assertions.
She said: “His motives and the scope of martial law have been questioned by many in both consistencies.
“What few commentators reject is that there is a very real Russian threat.
“It has been once more exposed in the Sea of Azov, in the Black Sea, with the latest assault against Ukrainian ships.”
Appearing to back her leader, Ms Korbut continued: “President Poroshenko has decreased under the pressure of parliament – and a lot of comments from society – the initially proposed number of days of martial law to 30 days.”
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Martial law means emergency measures concerning the army, security and law enforcement will be put in place while the country deals with the Russia crisis.
But Mr Poroshenko has not specified “in his decree” what those restrictions will be, Ms Kordut explained.
The controversial move is in response to Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian Navy ships close to the contested Sea of Azov, which occurred on Sunday night.
The confrontation took place in the Strait of Kerch, which is a strategic naval crossing point for both Russia and Ukraine.
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It is the waterway between mainland Russia and Crimea, the peninsula Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 and serves as the gateway into the Sea of Azov, which borders Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine claims three of its ships were travelling from Odessa to Mariupol when they were intercepted by the Russian coast guard on Sunday.
But the Russian president Vladimir Putin insisted on Wednesday Ukraine provoked Russia into the ship seizure as part of a “dirty game”.
Railing against his strategic foes, he said: “This is a dirty game within Ukraine.
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“It is a provocation initiated by the current authorities, and I think by the Ukrainian president, in light of the upcoming elections to be held next year.
“The incident in the Black Sea happened, it is a border incident, no more.”
Putin’s comments are likely to pour fuel on the fire of an already fraught relationship, as tensions between the two nations hit fever pitch.
The UK earlier this month warned against Russia’s actions in the Sea of Azov, with the Foreign Office saying in a statement: “Russia’s continued disruption of ships attempting to access Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov is destabilising the regional economy.
“Restrictions on freedom of passage have been accompanied by an increase in Russia’s military presence in the sea.”