Kremlin says Russia ‘understands perfectly well’ who is behind Crimea attack

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia “understands perfectly well” who is behind Sunday's drone attack in the city of Sevastopol in Crimea that killed at least four people and injuried more than 150 others, the Kremlin said.

“We see … an absolutely barbaric missile attack in Crimea. We understand perfectly well who is behind this … who is aiming these absolutely technically complex missiles at the targets,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a press briefing in Moscow.

“Of course, the direct involvement of the United States in hostilities, as a result of which Russian civilians are killed, cannot but have consequences. What exactly, time will tell,” he added.

The Defense Ministry said four US-provided Army Tactical Missile System rockets, were intercepted, but fragments from the fifth rocket led to numerous civilian casualties.

Regarding what kind of actions Russia may take in response, Peskov recalled remarks by President Vladimir Putin that Moscow considered symmetrical response to the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine.

Commenting on attacks on police posts and religious buildings in the Republic of Dagestan on Sunday, Peskov said Moscow does not fear a return to the situation the country faced in the 2000s.

At least 19 people were killed, including 15 police officers, in attacks in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent. Five attackers were also eliminated.

In the early 2000s, Dagestan saw near-daily attacks on police and other authorities.

“Now Russia is different, society is absolutely consolidated and such criminal terrorist manifestations, like the one we saw in Dagestan yesterday, are not supported by society either in Russia itself or in Dagestan,” Peskov said.

Asked if there was a connection to the attacks with the assault on Crimea, he said: “Right now I can’t say anything about this. There are investigative bodies that will do their job."​​​​​​​