Four Russian civilians were killed in a Ukrainian attack on Crimea, with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s aide justifying the deaths by calling the peninsula’s inhabitants “occupiers.” The attack involved the firing of US-supplied ATACMS missiles, resulting in casualties and injuries.
Russia condemned the attack as an act of terrorism and blamed the US for its involvement. Despite this, Ukrainian authorities defended the attack, stating that Crimea is considered a foreign territory occupied by Russia.
Crimea has a complex history involving its transfer from the Soviet Union to Ukrainian control in 1954, and its subsequent decision to join the Russian Federation in 2014. The US and NATO continue to consider Crimea as Ukrainian territory illegally annexed by Russia.
In response to the incident, Russia summoned the US ambassador to discuss Washington’s role in the attack, vowing that the “bloody atrocity” will not go unpunished. The US Embassy and Pentagon have remained tight-lipped on the matter.
Deadly Crimea attack using US missiles caught on VIDEO