U.S. ambassador summoned by Russia over Sevastopol missile strike

Many pieces of information presented by Russian state media or Kremlin officials are likely not true. Such reports may be part of an information war by the Russian Federation.

Russia claims that on Sunday, Sevastopol was attacked by five American ATACMS missiles. The Russians accuse Ukraine of the attack.

The Russian Defence Ministry also stated that American specialists are entering flight data for the ATACMS missiles based on their own satellite intelligence, which means that – according to their accusations – the United States is also responsible for the attack on Sevastopol.

In response to Sunday's attack, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Lynne M. Tracy.

The Foreign Ministry stated in a communiqué that the United States is conducting a hybrid war with Russia and has effectively become a party to the conflict, "supplying the Ukrainian Armed Forces with state-of-the-art weapons, including ATACMS missiles used against the residents of Sevastopol, whose targeting and flight missions are carried out by American military specialists, who bear equal responsibility for this crime along with the Kyiv regime."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Washington "encourages the pro-Hitler authorities of Ukraine to continue military actions deep inside Russia." "These actions will certainly not go unpunished," it warned.

Dmitry Peskov also commented on the matter. "The involvement of the United States of America in military actions, direct involvement in military actions, which resulted in the deaths of Russian civilians, obviously cannot go without consequences, but exactly what – time will tell," the Kremlin spokesman said in a media interview.

He called the attack on Sevastopol barbaric. "We see very clearly who is behind this," he reiterated.

After the missile attack on occupied Sevastopol, tourists began cancelling reservations in Crimea, annexed by Russia – reported the Association of Tour Operators of the Russian Federation. It was emphasised that such cases are "isolated."

"We have decided to fully refund the money to tourists if they cancel trips to Crimea," assured Sergey Romashkin, general director of the tour operator "Dolphin."

During Sunday's attack on Sevastopol, 150 people were injured, including 23 children – Russian media reported.

Western media emphasise that despite accusations against Ukraine and the USA, it was a strike by a Russian anti-aircraft fighter intercepting the launched missiles that caused one of them to veer off course and explode.

Source: Ria Novosti, TASS