Reluctant to Break Relations with the West Despite Knowing NATO and the US Supply Intelligence Information to Ukraine, Russia: We Need a Dialogue Channel

Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru/men's

JAKARTA - The Kremlin says it is well aware of the supply of intelligence to Ukraine from the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but that is not a reason to cut diplomatic ties with the West.

"At the most crucial moment, we need channels for dialogue," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Peskov was asked about comments by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova who, without providing evidence, accused Ukraine of carrying out the attack on the Crimean Bridge with the involvement of Britain and the United States.

"We know very well how deep the coordination is between the Kyiv regime, Washington, several European capitals and NATO," Peskov said.

"We know very well how much information comes from NATO and Washington to Kyiv on a permanent basis. Therefore, we have no illusions here," he stressed.

However, a journalist's question about a possible severing of diplomatic ties with the West was "not entirely correct" because of the need to keep channels of dialogue open, he said.

It is understood a husband and wife were killed in an attack on the Crimean Bridge on Monday, while their 14-year-old daughter was injured. Moscow said the attack was carried out by Kyiv.

Kyiv's military, on the other hand, held Russia responsible, although Ukrainian media said Ukrainian security services had used underwater drones to attack a bridge that had only recently returned to full operation after being badly damaged in a similar attack last October.