Latest on the war between Ukraine and Russia: Moscow announces retaliatory measures against the USA after missile attack on Crimea | World news

Russian claims that the US was behind yesterday’s attacks in Crimea were “ridiculous” and “exaggerated,” a US State Department spokesman said.

According to officials, four people were killed and about 150 others were injured in the attack when rocket debris fell on a beach in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the missiles used by Ukraine were ATACMS missiles from the United States and claimed they were programmed by US specialists.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow today that “the involvement of the United States, the direct involvement, as a result of which Russian civilians are being killed, cannot remain without consequences.”

During a US State Department press conference, spokesman Matthew Miller was asked about Russia’s claims, which he said were unfounded and false.

“I have no assessment of the underlying attack or who is responsible. But we have seen in the past that Russia has made ridiculous claims about responsibility,” he said.

“You may remember that after the terrorist attack in Moscow in March, they blamed the US, even though the US had warned them about the attack.

“It is not unusual for Moscow to make ridiculous, exaggerated claims of responsibility that are not based on facts.”

Mr Miller had previously been asked about the attacks on Crimea and had stated that the US regrets any civilian casualties in the ongoing war.

On the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine, Mr Miller added: “We are supplying weapons to Ukraine so that it can defend its sovereign territory against armed aggression, including in Crimea, which is, of course, part of Ukraine.”

“Russia could end this war today and end the suffering caused by the war it started if it ended its occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory and stopped launching attacks on civilians.”