In the aftermath of yesterday’s missile strikes in Crimea, Russia has pointed fingers at the United States, claiming that the US was behind the attack. However, a spokesperson for the US State Department swiftly refuted these assertions, labelling them as unfounded and wrong.
The Incident
Officials report that four people lost their lives, and approximately 150 others were injured when missile debris rained down on a beach in Sevastopol, occupied Crimea. The missiles in question were allegedly US-supplied ATACMS missiles, according to Russia’s defence ministry, which further contends that US specialists programmed them.
Moscow’s Accusations
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “The involvement of the United States, the direct involvement, as a result of which Russian civilians are killed, cannot be without consequences.” However, the US State Department’s spokesperson, Matthew Miller, countered these claims, drawing attention to Russia’s history of making baseless accusations.
A Familiar Pattern
Miller recalled a previous incident: “After the terror attack in Moscow in March, they blamed the US despite our prior warning about the attack. It’s not unusual for Moscow to make ridiculous, hyperbolic claims about responsibility that aren’t borne out by facts.”
US Stance on Ukraine
Regarding the ongoing conflict, Miller reiterated the US position: “We provide weapons to Ukraine so that it can defend its sovereign territory against armed aggression, including in Crimea, which, of course, is part of Ukraine. Russia could stop this war today and end the suffering caused by the war it launched if it ceased its occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory and halted attacks on civilians.”
