Russia accuses US of direct involvement in Ukraine war

ISTANBUL/LONDON (REUTERS) - Russia on Tuesday (Aug 2) accused the United States of direct involvement in the Ukraine war, as the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain to world markets since Moscow's invasion arrived in Turkey.

Russia said it was responding to comments by Mr Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine's deputy head of military intelligence, about the way Kyiv used US-supplied, long-range Himars rocket launch systems based on what he called excellent satellite imagery and real-time information.

Mr Skibitsky told Britain's Telegraph newspaper there was consultation between American and Ukrainian intelligence officials before strikes, and that Washington had an effective veto on intended targets. But he insisted that US officials were not providing direct targeting information.

Russia's Defence 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 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," it said.

There was no immediate reaction to the Defence Ministry's allegations from the White House or Pentagon.

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 of urban areas.

As more long-range Western weapons have arrived, Ukraine has been increasingly able to wage what military analysts call a "deep war", attacking Russian command and control centres, hitting key supply routes, trying to isolate Russian forces in pockets, and enlisting Ukrainian guerrillas behind enemy lines in the south to assist in targeting Russian positions and engage in sabotage.

A Russian train carrying troops and equipment to reinforce positions in southern Ukraine was blown up by American-supplied precision missiles over the weekend, killing dozens of soldiers and destroying many rail cars, according to Ukrainian officials, who released satellite imagery of the strike site to support their claim.

The attack on the train  was the latest in a series of strikes that have disrupted Russian logistical efforts and inflicted grave losses.

The Ukrainian military said Monday (Aug 1) that in recent weeks it had destroyed at least 15 ammunition depots in southern Ukraine alone - with many of the strikes captured on video - forcing the Russians to use surface-to-air missiles to strike ground targets.

The Ukrainians have become very effective in finding and killing Russian command and control hubs and destroying large amounts of Russian equipment, a senior US Defence Department official said Friday.

Russia's verbal attack on Washington came after Turkey said the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain since Russia's invasion blocked exports more than five months ago was spotted off the coast of Istanbul late on Tuesday night.

The vessel's departure on Monday (Aug 1) from the Ukrainian port of Odessa for Lebanon via Turkey under a safe passage deal has raised hopes of more such departures that may 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.

The United Nations has warned of the risk of multiple famines this year because of the war in Ukraine.

Monday's sailing was made possible after Turkey and the United Nations brokered a grain and fertiliser export agreement between Russia and Ukraine last month - a rare diplomatic breakthrough in a conflict that has become a drawn-out war of attrition since Russian troops poured over the border on Feb 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky in his nightly address late on Monday called the ship's departure "the first positive signal," but warned it was too early to draw conclusions or predict how things would play out.

"We cannot have illusions that Russia will simply refrain from trying to disrupt Ukrainian exports," he said.