Russia accuses UK and US agencies of helping plan attack on Black Sea Fleet HQ

Smoke billows from a headquarters building for the Russian Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol (Planet Labs via 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 annexed Crimea.

“There is no doubt that the attack had been planned in advance using Western intelligence means, Nato satellite assets and reconnaissance planes and was implemented upon the advice of American and British security agencies and in close coordination with them,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.