Moscow accuses US of direct role in Ukraine missile attacks

Russia has accused the United States of direct involvement in the Ukraine war, as the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain to world markets since the beginning of the war is due to be inspected in Turkey on Wednesday.

Russia's defence ministry, headed by an ally of President Vladimir Putin, said that comments made by Vadym Skibitsky— Ukraine's deputy head of military intelligence— to Britain's Telegraph newspaper showed that Washington was entangled in the conflict, despite assertions that it was limiting its role to arms supplies.

Skibitsky told the paper that there were consultations between US and Ukrainian intelligence officials before strikes, and Washington had an effective veto on intended targets, but that US officials were not providing direct targeting information.

"All this undeniably proves that Washington, contrary to White House and Pentagon claims, is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine," the Russian defence ministry said, in a statement on Tuesday.

"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."

There was no immediate reaction from the White House or Pentagon to the ministry's assertions.

The Pentagon did deny, however, Moscow's claims that Russia had destroyed six US-made HIMARS missile systems since the start of the Ukraine war. Russia regularly claims it has hit HIMARS, but has yet to show proof.

Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of carrying out devastating missile attacks on civilian targets, on an almost daily basis. However, both sides equally deny deliberately targeting civilians.

Donbas: 'Just hell'

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that despite arms supplies from the West, his country's forces could not overcome Russian advantages in heavy guns and manpower yet.

"This is very much felt in combat, especially in the Donbas... It is just hell there. Words cannot describe it."

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Donbas, Ukraine's traditional industrial heartland in the east, has seen some of the war's heaviest fighting.

Russia has called the Razoni's departure "very positive" news. It has denied responsibility for the food crisis, however, by blaming Western sanctions for slowing exports.