The Kremlin warned earlier that US involvement in the conflict resulting in Russian civilian casualties will inevitably have consequences.
"The beach was not the intended target and Ukraine was firing its missile at a military target and those beachgoers were reportedly harmed by the result of the intercept. Ukraine chooses its own military targets and makes its own military decisions about what to strike," a US Defense Department spokesperson told Sputnik on Tuesday.
The US assesses that a Russian air defense missile intercepted a Ukrainian missile that was heading towards a military target in Crimea, and the shrapnel from the intercept is what fell on the beach, injuring civilians, the spokesperson said. He added that he could not verify whether a US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System missile was involved in the strike.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian military attacked Sevastopol using US-made ATACMS long-range missiles with cluster warheads, four of which were shot down and one deflected and exploded over the city. According to the latest data, four people were killed, and 153 others were injured in the attack, including children.
Russia said the United States provided Ukraine with intelligence and targeted support for the strike. Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that the involvement of the US in the terrorist attack in Sevastopol is not under any doubt.
The Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzya, said that Ukraine's strike on Sevastopol will be discussed during a UN Security Council meeting in July. He also pointed out the UN double standards when calling out Ukrainian crimes, not condemning them enough.