U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Ukrainian forces have, on several occasions in recent months, targeted ships and infrastructure linked to the United States. He adds that the attacks may have occurred “probably not deliberately,” suggesting intent may not be clear or may be misidentification.
Both outlets report that U.S.-Ukraine discussions have included guidance aimed at avoiding strikes on certain non-Russian tankers and on infrastructure connected to U.S. energy firms. The differing emphasis is on what is publicly evidenced: one outlet notes that while Washington previously asked Kyiv to avoid those targets, available reporting does not confirm that U.S.-flagged or U.S.-owned vessels were repeatedly hit. Another outlet focuses more directly on Rubio’s broader claim that American-linked ships and oil supplies were targeted.
The accounts therefore converge on Rubio’s assertion and the existence of prior U.S. messaging to Kyiv, but diverge in how strongly they characterize publicly documented evidence of repeated strikes on specifically U.S.-registered or U.S.-owned ships.
