On Monday, the American ambassador was summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry to express their protest against the alleged use of advanced missiles manufactured in the U.S. during a Ukrainian attack on Russian-annexed Crimea. According to reports, the attack resulted in the deaths of four individuals and left over 150 people injured.
The Ministry stated that Washington has essentially taken Ukraine’s side in the war, making it a party to the conflict. They added that there will be retaliatory measures, but did not provide any further details on the matter.
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At present, there has been no response from either American or Ukrainian officials regarding the matter. It is important to note that the authenticity of Russia’s assertion regarding the type of missiles employed has not been independently verified by the Associated Press.
For over three years now, Kyiv’s military has heavily depended on weaponry supplied by the West since Russia’s invasion. This military aid has been instrumental in enabling Ukraine to keep the Kremlin’s army at bay. Consequently, there have been few significant changes along the 1,000-kilometer front line in eastern and southern Ukraine for many months.
Western countries were initially hesitant to provide Ukraine with more advanced military assistance due to concerns about provoking Russia. However, as Ukraine faced challenges in holding the line against Russia’s superior military, Western leaders gradually relented and offered more support.
Last week, the Pentagon made a significant announcement stating that the military of Ukraine can now use longer-range missiles supplied by the U.S. to attack targets within Russia if they are acting in self-defense. It is noteworthy that, till now, the U.S. had a policy of not permitting Ukraine to utilize the weapons provided by them to strike Russian targets in order to prevent the escalation of the conflict.
In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in a move that was widely considered unlawful by most of the world. Western allies of Ukraine had long declared Crimea as a legitimate target for Ukraine.
On Sunday, the Russian authorities reported that among those who lost their lives in the attack, two children were also included. They were hit by falling debris from Ukrainian missiles that were shot down over a coastal area in Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea. Additionally, cluster munitions were used, which have been criticized for causing harm to more civilians than combatants.
The Foreign Ministry of Russia summoned U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy after claiming that the guided missile used in the recent attack was a U.S.-made ATACMS.
According to a statement by the ministry, U.S. military experts are responsible for determining the target and mission input for missile attacks. The statement also accused the Ukrainian authorities of being equally responsible for the incident, and held the United States accountable for this act of aggression.
On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that they had struck a significant logistical hub of the Ukrainian military. The hub was found to be holding Western-supplied missiles and other weapons.
The strike involved a combination of warplanes, drones, ground-launched missiles, and artillery as reported. However, the location of the strike has not been disclosed by the ministry.
