Russia accuses US of coordinating with Ukraine to launch military action against Kremlin

Amid the raging war in Ukraine, a top Russian lawmaker on Saturday accused the United States of "directly participating" in the conflict against Russia. In a Telegram post, State Duma (Russian Lower House of Parliament) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin alleged that Washington is "essentially coordinating and developing" military operations in Ukraine. Furthermore, he added that the actions have amounted to "direct" involvement of the US against the Kremlin, Spectator Index reported.

While the US has repeatedly claimed its distance from becoming a part of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Washington and its European allies have delivered lethal weapons to Kyiv in the wake of the war, he explained. Moreover, the US has also provided Kyiv with military intel, however, Pentagon claims that the information did not include precise target data. It is pertinent to mention that Volodin is an advocate of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and describes it as a "special military operation" to pluck out "fascist elements" holding control over the Kyiv government and military.

Pentagon denies participation in Moskva sinking

The US Defence Department spokesperson John Kirby on Saturday refuted claims of Washington's participation in the sinking of Russian warships Moskva. Addressing the media on Friday, Kirby denounced reports that alleged the US' involvement in the incident. "We did not provide Ukraine with specific targetting information," Kirby stated. The Pentagon press secretary's statement came after media reports, citing anonymous sources, stated that the US Defence Department had provided Ukraine with vital information about the Russian ship's location. "We had no prior knowledge of Ukraine's intent to target the ship," Kirby said.

According to Governor of Odesa, Maksym Marchenko, the Moskva ship was targeted by two Ukraine-launched R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles and suffered damage. On the other hand, advisor to Ukraine Defence Minister, Yuri Sak was unable to confirm if the Russian vessel was in fact hit by Ukrainian forces. Meanwhile, Russia in its narrative had claimed that the ship sank due to an onboard fire after an ammunition explosion.

For a recap, the warship Moskva, which is the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet sank on April 14 after it was reportedly struck by Ukrainian missiles off the Odesa coast. Images and videos of the ship on fire and smoke billowing from the badly damaged ship emerged on social media. The ship, however, tipped over while it was being towed back to the Russian port. "Given the choppy seas, the vessel sank," the Russian Defence Ministry had said.

(Image: AP)