Russia accuses Ukraine of using US missiles to hit civilian targets

Russia and Ukraine trade accusations of targeting civilians with missiles, as fighting continues into summer 2024 with more deaths on both sides.

Russia's foreign ministry on Friday accused Ukraine of using US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to hit civilian targets in the Belgorod region, holding it responsible for the deaths of women and children.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the accusations at a news conference on the sidelines of an economic forum in St Petersburg.

Zakharova said fragments of the HIMARS missiles would serve as evidence of what happened.

Reuters could not independently verify the allegations and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine or the United States.