The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the American ambassador on Monday to protest what it claims was the use of U.S.-made advanced missiles in a Ukrainian attack on Russian-annexed Crimea. The attack reportedly killed four people and wounded more than 150. Moscow’s statement emphasized that Washington “has effectively become a party” to the war on Ukraine’s side, warning that “retaliatory measures will certainly follow,” though it did not specify what those measures might be.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. or Ukrainian officials, and the Associated Press could not independently verify Russia’s claims about the missiles used. Kyiv’s forces have relied heavily on Western-supplied weaponry since Russia’s invasion more than three years ago. This military aid has been crucial in allowing Ukraine to hold the Kremlin’s army at bay, with few major changes along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line in eastern and southern Ukraine for many months.
Some Western countries have hesitated over providing more — and more sophisticated — help for Kyiv’s army due to concerns about potentially provoking the Kremlin. However, as Ukraine has at times struggled to hold the line against Russia’s bigger and better-equipped military, Western leaders have gradually relented and granted more support.
In a significant development, the Pentagon announced last week that Ukraine’s military is now allowed to use longer-range missiles provided by the U.S. to strike targets inside Russia if it is acting in self-defense. Since the outset of the war, the U.S. had maintained a policy of not allowing Ukraine to use the weapons it provided to hit targets on Russian soil to avoid further escalating the conflict.
Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that most of the world rejected as unlawful, has long been declared a fair target for Ukraine by its Western allies. Russian authorities said that the dead in Sunday’s attack included two children who were hit by falling debris from Ukrainian missiles that were shot down over a coastal area in Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea. They also claimed that cluster munitions, which critics say harm more civilians than combatants, were used.
Russia said the missiles were U.S.-made ATACMS, a long-range, guided missile. It summoned U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy to the Foreign Ministry. The ministry’s statement alleged that the targeting and “mission input” for such missile attacks are carried out by U.S. military experts, asserting that the United States bears “equal responsibility for this outrage” along with the Ukrainian authorities. It went on to say that “allowing strikes deep inside Russian territory will not be left unanswered.”
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry on Monday reported striking a “major logistical hub” of the Ukrainian military that held Western-supplied missiles and other weapons. The strike was carried out by warplanes, drones, ground-launched missiles, and artillery, though the ministry did not specify the location.
The attack on Sevastopol has heightened tensions between Russia and the United States. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said two children were among the dead and that 151 people were injured, with more than 80 hospitalized. He declared Monday a day of mourning in the city and said he has been visiting the injured in hospitals. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Razvozhayev immediately after the attack to express his condolences to the families of the victims.
Razvozhayev accused Kyiv authorities of striking “on the sly” at a time when many residents were returning from church and the celebrations of the Orthodox holiday of Holy Trinity or were on the beach with their children. His deputy, Alexander Kulagin, also told Russian state news agency Tass that many among the injured were at the beach during the attack.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said doctors were being sent from the capital to provide all necessary assistance, and Moscow clinics were ready to receive victims. Some patients would be airlifted to Moscow for treatment, Razvozhayev said Monday. Tass reported that Razvozhayev had also introduced a state of regional emergency in Sevastopol in the aftermath of the attack.
There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv. The country’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the attack “an act of terrorism” carried out with U.S. weapons that should be condemned by the United Nations. The Moscow-appointed head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, described the incident as “a barbaric, unscrupulous terrorist attack.”
Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the attack. Also on Sunday, Ukrainian authorities reciprocated with accusations of terrorism against civilians, reporting the latest deadly Russian strike on the border city of Kharkiv. Governor Oleh Syniehubov said Russia continued to attack civilian infrastructure in the city with aerial bombs. The strikes on Sunday killed one person and injured 11, leaving part of Kharkiv without power and shutting down the metro in the country’s second-largest city. This came just a day after three people were killed and 41 were injured in another attack on Kharkiv that damaged a five-story residential building.
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate, with both sides accusing each other of targeting civilians and using advanced weaponry. The involvement of U.S.-supplied missiles in the latest attack on Crimea has added a new layer of complexity to the already tense situation, raising questions about the future course of the conflict and the potential for further international involvement.
Source: Associated Press, NBC News
