Russia Vows to Respond, as it Blames the US for the Deaths in Crimea

Picture courtesy: (EPA share via X) People show respect by putting flowers as tribute to the victims of Sunday’s attack on a memorial bearing the word Sevastopol in Moscow.

(The Post News)- On Monday, the Kremlin squarely held the United States accountable for the assault that occurred in Crimea on Sunday and vowed consequences for a Ukrainian missile strike on Sevastopol, which Russian officials said had killed four people.

Two children were among those who lost their lives. More than 150 people were injured in the attack as missile debris landed on a beach nearby.

Moscow stated that on Sunday, deaths and injuries were the result of the falling debris after its air defences in Crimea took down five missiles loaded with cluster warheads launched by Ukrainian forces.

Russia’s defence ministry said that the missiles that Ukraine used were provided by US ATACMS missiles, claiming that they were programmed by US specialists and guided by American satellites.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the strike barbaric, blaming the US for the deaths of Russian children.

He pointed to the comments that were recently made by President Vladimir Putin, who recently vowed to target countries providing weapons to Ukraine.

Moscow formally informed the United States ambassador that retribution would follow.

The conflict in Ukraine has contributed to relations between Russia and the West, and Russian authorities have argued that the conflict has escalated to the most dangerous up to date.

Blaming the United States directly for an attack on Crimea, which Russia unilaterally annexed in 2014, even though most of the world thought of it as a part of Ukraine, is a step further.

Although it does not fall under US demands that Ukraine stop using Washington-provided weapons to attack Russian territory, footage taken on Russian state TV indicates the horror on the beach in the Uchkuyevka area.

People were running from the falling debris, and those who were injured were carried away on sun loungers.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated the claim in a meeting in Minsk, arguing that the system “cannot function without the direct participation of the American military, including satellite capabilities.”

According to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the US has been providing ATACMS missiles to Ukraine for over a year. The system allows the Ukrainian forces to strike targets up to 300 km (186 miles) away.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said that Ukraine makes its own decisions regarding where to conduct its military operations.

Despite that, Peskov said that in Moscow on Monday, the collaboration of the United States and the direct action as a result of the Russian civilians being killed will have consequences.

He added that only time will tell what the consequences will be.

Ukrainian authorities have defended the strike in the wake of the attack, arguing that Crimea was a legitimate target.