Russia has accused the United States of being responsible for a missile attack on Russian-annexed Crimea, which resulted in the deaths of five people, including three children, and injured over 100 others. The missile exploded above a beach area in Sevastopol, firing shrapnel at people who were relaxing there. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Washington and Kyiv were responsible for the deliberate missile strike on peaceful residents, allegedly using U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles. The city of Sevastopol, located on the Crimean peninsula, was annexed by Russia in 2014 but is still recognized internationally as part of Ukraine. Although the city faces regular attacks from Ukraine, Sunday’s incident was particularly deadly.
The governor of Sevastopol reported that three children and two adults had died in the attack, with almost 120 people sustaining injuries. Witnesses stated that an elderly woman was also killed while swimming in the sea. The Russia Investigative Committee announced that an investigation into the incident was underway, labeling it as a “terrorist act.” The governor detailed that Ukraine had launched five missiles, which were intercepted by Russian air defenses over the sea, but the fragments fell onto the shore area, causing injuries to civilians. The attack resulted in missile fragments hitting beach areas in the north of the city and causing fires to break out in a house and woodland.
In response to the attack, the Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of carrying out a terrorist attack on Sevastopol’s civilian infrastructure using U.S.-supplied ATACMS tactical missiles loaded with cluster warheads. The ministry claimed that four missiles were downed, and a fifth changed its trajectory after being intercepted, exploding in the air over the city. Additionally, the ministry warned that such actions would not go unanswered. Ukraine’s military has not commented on the attack, which occurred a day after a Russian strike on Kharkiv killed two people and injured over 50.
Following the incident in Kharkiv, another Russian strike hit a house in the city, resulting in one death and five injuries, according to the regional governor. The mayor of Kharkiv reported that three people were wounded in a separate strike on a children’s educational facility. Ukraine retaliated with a drone strike on Russia’s Belgorod region, killing a man, as confirmed by the governor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on supporter countries to help Ukraine increase attacks on Russian soil, stating that they have the determination to stop Russia. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate, resulting in civilian casualties and mounting tensions in the region.
