Russia warns U.S. to brace for retaliation after assault in Crimea

The Kremlin has accused the U.S. of ‘killing Russian children’ after a Ukrainian attack on occupied Crimea with long-range missiles supplied by Washington.

Moscow has summoned the U.S. ambassador to issue a formal warning, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov issued a public statement slammed the U.S. for ‘barbaric’ strike.

‘You should ask my colleagues in Europe, and above all in Washington, the press secretaries, why their governments are killing Russian children. Just ask them this question,’ Peskov told reporters.

The attack in Sevastopol killed at least four people, including two children. Russia blamed the U.S. and said 150 were injured. Video shows panicked beachgoers fleeing from falling shrapnel after Russian air defense intercepted the missiles. 

Russia seized Crimea in 2014, and Ukraine has launched a series of drone attacks at Russian naval assets and the Black Sea port since Russia’s 2022 invasion. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the attack in Crimea ‘barbaric’. Moscow summoned the U.S. ambassador in response. The U.S. began providing long range ATAMCs to Ukraine earlier this year

The ATACMs, long sought by Kiev, provide a longer range than missiles previously supplied by the U.S. 

The U.S. began supplying the ATACMs to Ukraine earlier this year after intense lobbying from Kiev.

Weeks ago, the U.S. changed its policy to allow use of the weapons inside Russian territory along border regions with Ukraine.

Spray flies into the air as pieces of debris from the shot down missile land in the coast off Sevastopol

Wounded tourists are attended to by passers-by on a beach in Sevastopol after the incident on Sunday

The incident came the same day that Russian bombs destroyed a residential block in Kharkiv, killing at least one person and injuring 10 on Sunday

That came amid relentless Russian attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, after Moscow experienced battlefield gains.

Ukrainian commanders have pleaded for the authority to use the weapons to strike where Russia amasses troops and stores aircraft and ammunition for its assaults on its territory.

The long-range ATACMs were included in a March military aid package, although restrictions still prevent their use deep inside Russian territory. They have a range of 300 kilometers (about 190 miles).

Russia’s war on Ukraine, and Ukraine’s defense by the U.S. and NATO allies, has put deep strains between the U.S. and Russia, both nuclear powers.

After the Sevastopol strike, Russia accused the U.S. of ‘waging a hybrid war against Russia and has actually become a party to the conflict.’ Russia threatened in comments to ambassasdor Lynne Tracy that the attack would ‘not go unpunished. Retaliatory measures will definitely follow.’