Flight missions for ATACMS missiles are programmed by American specialists based on US satellite reconnaissance, making Washington primarily responsible for the deliberate missile strike on Sevastopol's civilians, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated.
"Therefore, the responsibility for the deliberate missile strike on Sevastopol’s civilians lies primarily with Washington, which supplied this weapon to Ukraine, as well as the Kiev regime, from whose territory the strike was launched," the statement said.
The deliberate terrorist missile strike on the city of Sevastopol was carried out at 12:15pm Moscow time on June 23, using five US-supplied ATACMS tactical missiles equipped with cluster warheads.
During the missile attack, Russian air defenses intercepted four of the missiles. The detonation of the fifth missile’s fragmentation warhead in the air resulted in numerous civilian casualties in Sevastopol.
According to the Russian Ministry of Health, 124 people were injured, including 27 children, and three people were killed, including two children.
The strike on Sevastopol’s civilians with US ATACMS missiles will not go unanswered, the Russian MoD said.
"Such actions will not remain unanswered," the MoD stated.
The UN stands by its stance that civilian casualties must be avoided in conflict, Deputy Spokesperson to UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, told Sputnik on Sunday, commenting on the Ukrainian attack on Sevastopol.
"We simply reiterate our position that civilian casualties must be avoided and that we want an end to the war in line with the UN Charter and GA resolutions," Haq said.