The Pentagon has responded to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who expressed concerns about strikes by HIMARS and Storm Shadow on Crimea.

Sabrina Singh, the Deputy Pentagon Spokesperson, reminded Shoigu during a briefing that Crimea is part of Ukraine, and the United States supports the efforts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to regain their sovereign territories.

"The Ukrainians are doing everything that they can with the equipment, with the capabilities that they can on the battlefield to continue to push Russians further back, and we support their efforts to retake their sovereign territory," said Singh.

She added that the United States will continue to provide support to Ukraine for as long as it takes.

At a military collegium, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu began to threaten strikes on "decision-making centres" in Ukraine, in the event that the Armed Forces strike occupied Crimea.

Shoigu is convinced that the occupied Ukrainian peninsula is outside the war zone, so the Russian military leadership will consider possible strikes on Crimea as drawing the US and the UK into the war and will strike back at the "decision-making centres" in Ukraine.