MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russia on Tuesday accused the United States of direct involvement in the Ukraine war, while the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain to world markets since Moscow’s invasion continued its passage to Lebanon without problems.
Russia said it was responding to comments by Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine’s deputy head of military intelligence, about the way Kyiv used U.S.-supplied long-range HIMARs rocket launch systems based on what he called excellent satellite imagery and real-time information.
Skibitsky told Britain’s Telegraph newspaper there was consultation between U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence officials before strikes and that Washington had an effective veto on intended targets, though he said U.S. officials were not providing direct targeting information.
Russia’s defense ministry, headed by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, said the interview showed that Washington was directly involved despite repeated assertions that it was limiting its role in the conflict to arms supplies because it did not want a direct confrontation with Moscow.
“All this undeniably proves that Washington, contrary to White House and Pentagon claims, is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine,” the Russian defense ministry said in a statement.
“It is the Biden administration that is directly responsible for all Kyiv-approved rocket attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure in populated areas of Donbas and other regions, which have resulted in mass deaths of civilians,” the defense ministry said.
Supplies of sophisticated long-range weapons systems from Western nations to Ukraine are seen as vital if Kyiv’s forces are to turn the tide of the war, in which Russia relies heavily on long distance bombardments.
Russia’s verbal attack on Washington came after Turkey said that the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain since Russia’s invasion blocked exports more than five months ago was on track to safely arrive in Istanbul on Tuesday night.
The vessel’s departure on Monday from the Ukrainian port of Odesa for Lebanon via Turkey under a safe passage deal has raised hopes of further such departures which could help ease a burgeoning global food crisis.
Turkey expects roughly one grain ship to leave Ukrainian ports each day as long as the safe passage agreement holds, a senior Turkish official, who asked to remain anonymous, said on Tuesday. Read full story
The United Nations has warned of the risk of multiple famines this year because of the war in Ukraine.
Ozcan Altunbudak, Turkey’s representative at a coordination centre created to oversee the restart of Ukrainian grain exports, said on Tuesday the vessel, the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, was on track to anchor at Istanbul on Tuesday night.