Russia accuses Ukraine’s Western allies of helping attack its Black Sea Fleet headquarters

By ILLIA NOVIKOV
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has accused Ukraine’s Western allies of helping plan and conduct last week’s missile strike on the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters in Crimea. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says there was coordinated with the help of American and British security agencies. She says NATO satellites and reconnaissance planes also played a role. The accusation came the day after video appeared to show that the fleet’s commander, Adm. Viktor Sokolov, was still alive despite Ukraine’s claims that he was among 34 officers killed in Friday’s strike on the port city of Sevastopol. Ukraine has provided no evidence of Sokolov’s death and said it was trying to verify its claims.