Moscow,Sept 27, (dpa/GNA) – Moscow has accused Britain and the United States of involvement in the Ukrainian attack on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol in annexed Crimea.
London and Washington have long supported the “criminal regime” in Kiev, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday. The attack on September 22 was carried out “without the slightest doubt” with the help of the US and British secret services.
Western reconnaissance data, satellites of NATO countries, and spy planes were used, Zakharova said. “The obvious aim of such terrorist acts is to divert attention from the failed attempts of the counteroffensive by the Ukrainian armed forces and to frighten people, to stir up panic in our society.”
Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 in breach of international law. In the course of its counteroffensive, which has been ongoing for several months, Ukraine has stressed that it also wants to free the peninsula from Russian occupation.
The headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the city of Sevastopol on the peninsula were severely damaged in the attack, which involved the use of drones and cruise missiles. Ukraine says a total of 34 Russian officers were killed, though it has not presented any evidence to support its claim.
Russia, which has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for more than 19 months, spoke of only one missing person after the attack.
GNA