Russia opens a criminal terrorism case against Ukraine

The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal terrorism case yesterday following the Ukrainian missile attack on Sevastopol in the annexed Crimean peninsula, which resulted in the deaths of five civilians, including two children, and the injury of more than a hundred people.

According to what the entity reported on its Telegram channel, it is currently “determining the circumstances of the events and people associated with the terrorist attack, whose actions will be legally evaluated.” The Instructions Committee added, “Investigators and forensics are working at the scene.”

Five civilians died yesterday in Sevastopol, two minors – girls aged 2 and 9 – and 124 others were injured, according to Russian medical authorities.

Russian child advocate Marina Lvova Belova, who is studying with Russian President Vladimir Putin an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, told Telegram that 27 minors were among those injured.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Ukrainian forces fired five US-made ATACMS missiles armed with cluster bombs at the city.

Although the army shot down four missiles, the fifth deviated from its course and exploded over the city. Video clips circulated on social media showed the moment of the attack on a beach on the shores of the Black Sea, and swimmers could be seen running desperately.

Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozaev condemned the firing of missiles at the civilian population.

The Kremlin blames the United States and adds that the attack “will not go unanswered.”

The Russian Defense Ministry blamed Washington for the missile attack on the city of Sevastopol, and the supply of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine fired by the Ukrainian military. He pointed out that “responsibility for this missile attack lies first and foremost with Washington, which supplied Ukraine with these weapons, as well as with the Kiev regime from whose territory the attack was launched.” The defense noted that “all American ATACMS tactical and operational missile missions were designed by American specialists.” He added, “These actions will not go unanswered.”