The Kremlin has warned the United States of “consequences” and summoned its ambassador after Moscow reported that a Ukrainian strike with a US missile on Crimea killed four people.
Moscow has increasingly criticized Washington and Kiev’s Western allies for providing weapons used against Russian targets, labeling them as direct participants in the two-year conflict.
On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned Sunday’s strike on Sevastopol as “barbaric” and accused Washington of “killing Russian children.”
Two of the victims were minors, according to Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev on Telegram.
Peskov also referenced President Vladimir Putin’s recent comments about arming countries to potentially target Western interests.
“The United States’ involvement, resulting in the deaths of Russian civilians, will have consequences,” Peskov told reporters on Monday. “Time will tell what these will be.”
“Ask my colleagues in Europe and especially in Washington why their government is killing Russian children,” he added.
The foreign ministry announced it had summoned US envoy Lynne Tracy.
In a later statement, the ministry declared that Washington “bears equal responsibility with the Kiev regime for this atrocity” and that the strike would “not go unpunished.”
Russia stated the Sunday strike was executed with a US-supplied ATACMS missile equipped with a cluster warhead.
Local Moscow-installed officials reported that the missile hit an area of the port city with sandy beaches and hotels.
Russia said 82 people, including 27 children, were hospitalized with injuries from the strike.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, quoted by TASS news agency, said on Monday that 14 of the injured were in serious condition.
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