Russia warns of retaliation against US over Sevastopol missile attack

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned US Ambassador Lynn Tracy and condemned the incident, calling it a “proxy war” instigated by Washington and vowing to retaliate.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has consistently portrayed the conflict as a proxy war with Western backing. Addressing reporters, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US provides weapons to Ukraine to defend its sovereignty. Ambassador Tracy regretted any civilian casualties as a result of the recent clash, Al Jazeera reported.

The Kremlin has strongly criticised the US decision to allow Ukraine to deploy its weapons against targets inside Russian territory, and warned of possible escalation and consequences.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, five US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles were involved in the attack on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. The ministry said four missiles were intercepted, while the fifth exploded in the air.

Moscow alleged that American experts coordinated the missile strikes using data from US spy satellites.

“Such actions by Washington will not go unpunished,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement summoning the ambassador on Monday. “There will certainly be countermeasures.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the missile attack during a press conference, calling it “absolutely barbaric” and said Moscow would respond to the US intervention.

According to Al Jazeera, he suggested to the journalists present, “You should ask my colleagues in Europe, and most of all in Washington, why their governments are killing Russian children.”

He also noted recent comments by President Vladimir Putin in which he spoke of supplying weapons for a possible attack on Western targets, including a new military alliance agreement with North Korea, which has caused concern among Western allies.

Russian officials have issued warnings that the Ukraine conflict is entering a dangerous phase, with Putin stressing the risk of a wider conflict involving nuclear powers.

Directly accusing the US of plotting the deadly attack in Crimea — a region annexed by Russia in 2014 but internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory — marks a significant escalation in rhetoric.

“We understand very well who is behind this,” Peskov said, adding that it was clear who provided Ukraine with the weapons, the targets and who provided the data for them.

“Of course, the involvement of the United States in fighting that results in the death of peaceful Russians will have consequences, but they will be,” Peskov said, according to Al Jazeera. “What exactly the consequences will be, only time will tell.”