Moscow/Kiev, 25 June 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The Russian government said the United States bears responsibility for a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula that left four people dead and more than 150 people injured and promised there would be "repercussions."

"We've seen an absolutely barbaric missile attack in Crimea," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the TASS news agency. "We understand perfectly well who is behind it, who targets these technically sophisticated missiles. It is not the Ukrainians who provide for these launches."

"Naturally, the US’ direct involvement in combat which resulted in Russian civilians dying cannot go without any repercussions. Time will tell which ones precisely."

The Russian Foreign Ministry also summoned the US ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, following the attack on the Crimean city of Sevastopol on Sunday.

The Kremlin says Washington not only supplies arms to Kiev, but that US specialists also help oversee the flight path of the advanced missiles.

The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine fired five US-supplied ATACMS missiles, four of which were intercepted.

On Monday, authorities in Sevastopol declared a state of emergency. This may restrict certain constitutional rights, such as freedom of movement, to ensure public safety.

Most of the victims were sunbathing on a city beach when rocket debris fell and exploded, with no air raid warning preceding the incident.

A Ukrainian government official said on Monday that the victims of the Crimean missile strike were "civilian occupiers."

Russia currently occupies around a fifth of Ukraine's territory, including the southern Crimean peninsula, which it illegally annexed in 2014.

The main harbour of Russia's Black Sea fleet and the Belbek military airfield are both located near Sevastopol.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion began two years ago, Moscow has been using Crimea as a supply and attack base against Ukraine. The area has also become a target of attacks by the Ukrainian military.

Meanwhile in Kiev President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Lieutenant General Yuri Sodol from his post, following reports of high casualties in the Ukrainian armed forces,

Sodol will be replaced by Brigadier General Andriy Hnatov, Zelensky said in his nightly video address. He did not give any reasons for the dismissal.

The presidential office in Kiev published a decree by Zelensky on the change of personnel in the United Forces.

However, the chief of staff of the controversial Azov Brigade, Bohdan Krotevych, had previously filed a complaint against Sodol, according to the media. He accused the commander of negligent orders that had led to major casualties.

"He has killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general," wrote Krotevych on Facebook, without naming Sodol. At the same time, he demanded that the lieutenant-general be investigated for possible collaboration with Russia.

According to the media, there were accusations against Sodol, not least in the Supreme Rada, the parliament in Kiev, that he had poorly prepared Ukrainian soldiers for missions - for example in the embattled Kharkiv region.

In his video message, Zelensky condemned a Russian missile attack on the city of Pokrovsk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. Four people were killed and dozens more were injured, the Ukrainian leader said.

He announced a retaliatory strike following the Russian attack. "Our response will be completely fair," Zelensky said.