Russia has blamed the United States and promised “consequences” for a Ukrainian missile strike on Sevastopol in occupied Crimea on Sunday, which officials say killed four people, including two children, and injured around 150 more. The attack, which saw missile debris fall on a nearby beach, has sparked significant outrage in Moscow.
Russia’s defense ministry stated that the missiles used by Ukraine were US-supplied ATACMS missiles, claiming they were programmed by US specialists. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the strike as “barbaric” and accused the US of “killing Russian children.” President Vladimir Putin had recently vowed to target countries supplying weapons to Ukraine, a sentiment echoed by Peskov.
The Russian defense ministry reported that the casualties were caused by debris from intercepted missiles, as their air defenses in Crimea intercepted five missiles loaded with cluster warheads launched by Ukrainian forces. Footage on Russian state TV showed chaos on the beach in the Uchkuyevka area, with people fleeing and some injured being carried away on sun loungers.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a meeting in Minsk, reiterated the claim that ATACMS missiles require direct American military involvement, including satellite capabilities. The US has been supplying these missiles to Ukraine for over a year, allowing Ukrainian forces to strike targets up to 300km (186 miles) away.
Despite Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, only a handful of countries recognize the peninsula as Russian territory. Hence, it does not fall under US restrictions on using American-supplied weapons to strike Russian territory. A White House National Security Council spokesperson told the BBC, “Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions and conducts its own military operations.”
Peskov warned that the “involvement of the United States, the direct involvement, as a result of which Russian civilians are killed, cannot be without consequences,” adding that “time will tell what these will be.” The Russian foreign ministry summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday, with Lavrov asserting that US involvement in the attack was “not in doubt.”
Moscow has repeatedly threatened to target countries supplying weapons to Ukraine, labeling them legitimate military targets. Earlier this month, Putin indicated that Russia might supply similar weapons to other regions in response to Western countries arming Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials defended the strike, calling Crimea a legitimate target. Mykhailo Podolyak, a top aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky, described the peninsula as “a large military camp” with “hundreds of direct military targets” that the Russians are attempting to shield with civilians.
The UN’s human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine reports that at least 10,000 civilians have been killed since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, with the true figure likely much higher.
