Russia’s foreign ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador on June 24 to convey Moscow’s belief that the United States has become a de facto party to the conflict in Ukraine.
The move came two days after a missile attack on the Crimean city of Sevastopol—carried out with U.S.-supplied ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) missiles—that killed four Russian civilians.
According to the foreign ministry, U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy was told that the United States had become a de facto party to the conflict by supplying Kyiv with advanced weapons, “including ATACMS missiles equipped with cluster warheads.”
Claiming that ATACMS could only be operated by “American specialists,” the ministry told Ms. Tracy that Washington bore “equal responsibility” for what it described as “another crime by the Kyiv regime.”
According to the foreign ministry’s account of the conversation, the U.S. envoy was further informed that “such actions by Washington ... will not go unanswered.”
Asked about the ambassador’s meeting, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Ms. Tracy had told her Russian interlocutors that the United States “laments any civilian loss of life in this war.”
“We provide weapons to Ukraine so it can defend its sovereign territory against armed aggression,” Mr. Miller told reporters on June 24.
“That includes Crimea,” he added, “which, of course, is part of Ukraine.”
Russia effectively annexed Crimea in 2014 after holding a controversial region-wide referendum. Since then, Moscow has viewed the strategic Black Sea region as Russian Federation territory.
Backed by its Western allies, Ukraine rejects the annexation as an illegal land grab and has vowed to recover all of Crimea by force of arms.
“Russia could stop this war today ... if it would stop its occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory and stop launching attacks on civilians,” Mr. Miller said.
Kyiv, meanwhile, has refrained from commenting on the missile attack on Crimea while denying that its military targets civilians.
Kremlin Warns of ‘Repercussions’
On June 23, Ukraine reportedly fired several long-range ATACMS missiles—bearing cluster munitions—at targets in Crimea.Built and supplied by the United States, ATACMS missiles boast a range of approximately 185 miles.
According to Russia’s defense ministry, four of the missiles were downed by Russian air defenses, while a fifth exploded over the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
Located on the peninsula’s southwestern coast, the port city of Sevastopol is home to Russia’s formidable Black Sea Fleet.
Four civilians, including two children, were killed by falling missile debris on a public beach in Sevastopol, while 150 others were injured, local authorities said.
Moscow was quick to blame Kyiv—and Washington—for the ATACMS missile attack.
“U.S. involvement in this heinous crime is beyond doubt,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a June 24 statement.
“American ATACMS tactical missiles, equipped with cluster warheads to inflict maximum damage, were used in the attack,” the ministry added.
It further claimed that targets had been designated by American specialists “based on U.S. satellite reconnaissance data.”
The foreign ministry also asserted that a U.S. Global Hawk reconnaissance drone had been operating on standby “in the skies near Crimea” at the time of the attack.
As of publication, the U.S. State Department had yet to respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment on the Russian allegations.
A Kremlin spokesman, meanwhile, told reporters that “direct U.S. involvement in the fighting, which results in the death of Russian civilians, will certainly have repercussions.”
Muted US Response
It wasn’t the first time that ATACMS missiles were reportedly used to target Russian positions in Crimea.In late April, Russia’s defense ministry claimed its forces had downed at least six incoming ATACMS missiles near Crimea before they hit their intended targets.
Kyiv later confirmed that its forces had fired long-range missiles at two Russian airbases located in the peninsula.
No casualties or damage, however, were reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said previously that Kyiv’s use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS “would not dramatically change the battlefield situation.”
Meanwhile, the Russian accusations—and threats of retaliation—have drawn a muted response from U.S. officials.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council conceded that any loss of civilian life was a tragedy.
“That includes the thousands of innocent Ukrainians who have been killed by Russian forces since this Russian war of aggression began,” the spokesperson told Reuters.
As for the alleged involvement of “American specialists” in executing the missile strike, a Pentagon spokesman insisted that Ukraine “makes its own targeting decisions and conducts its own military operations.”
