Russia Blames US for 'Barbaric' Attack on Crimea

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Facts

• Russia directly blamed the US for a Ukrainian attack on Crimea that killed at least four people and injured more than 150 more over the weekend.¹
• 'We perfectly understand who is behind this,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday, adding it was clear to Russia who supplied such weapons, aimed them and provided the targeting data for them.²
• Describing the attack as 'barbaric,' Peskov went on to state that 'the involvement of the United States, the direct involvement, as a result of which Russian civilians are killed, cannot be without consequences,' adding that 'time will tell what these will be.'³
• Russian officials said that five US-provided ATACMS missiles, equipped with cluster munitions, were used in the attack, adding that while four were shot down by missile defenses, one missile exploded and released submunitions over Sevastopol in southern Crimea.⁴
• Images and video captured from the Black Sea resort city showed beach-goers fleeing the moment of the attack, as well as some of the injuries sustained by civilians. Two children, aged three and 10, were among those killed. An elderly woman, in the sea at the time of the attack, was also killed.⁵
• Russia summoned the US ambassador to Moscow over the incident on Monday. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said protestations were delivered over what it described as 'a deliberate missile attack on civilians,' adding it was 'another deadly crime by the Kyiv regime, being sponsored and armed by Washington.'⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Al Jazeera, ³South China Morning Post, ⁴TASS (a), ⁵Daily Mail and ⁶TASS (b).

Narratives

• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. This is an indefensible terror attack on civilians coming as the Orthodox Church celebrates one of its most important holidays. There is no doubt that America helped perpetrate this vicious attack and Russia's response is coming.
• Pro-Ukraine narrative, as provided by Ukrainska Pravda. While it is unfortunate this attack occurred on a religious holiday, attacks like this take place daily in Ukraine. Just the same day as the attack on Crimea, a Russian attack on Kharkiv killed three civilians and injured 56 more.

Predictions