Washington (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The U.S. has been assisting Ukraine in conducting long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure for months, aiming to undermine the economy and compel President Vladimir Putin to negotiate, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
How is the US helping Ukraine plan long-range strikes?How has Moscow responded to US and NATO assistance?
According to the newspaper, U.S. intelligence has assisted Kyiv in targeting significant Russian energy facilities, such as oil refineries, well behind the front lines. This information comes from unnamed Ukrainian and U.S. officials familiar with the campaign.
How is the US helping Ukraine plan long-range strikes?
The FT reported that U.S. intelligence assists Kyiv in planning routes, choosing altitudes, timing, and mission strategies, which helps Ukraine’s long-range, one-way attack drones avoid Russian air defences.
The United States is deeply engaged in all planning phases, according to three sources familiar with the operation. A U.S. official mentioned that Ukraine chose the targets for long-range strikes, with Washington supplying intelligence on their vulnerabilities.
Earlier this month, two U.S. officials informed Reuters that Washington plans to share intelligence with Ukraine about long-range energy infrastructure targets in Russia. This comes amid discussions on whether to supply Kyiv with missiles capable of targeting these sites.
According to U.S. officials, the U.S. also requested NATO allies to offer similar assistance. Zelenskiy mentioned on Saturday that he had a “positive and productive’ phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, during which they discussed Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
How has Moscow responded to US and NATO assistance?
This month, Moscow stated that Washington and NATO are frequently providing intelligence to Kyiv during the war launched by Putin in February 2022.
“The supply and use of the entire infrastructure of NATO and the United States to collect and transfer intelligence to Ukrainians is obvious,”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters then.
The Wall Street Journal and Reuters also reported that the U.S. plans to supply Ukraine with intelligence on long-range energy infrastructure targets within Russia, as it considers sending missiles to Kyiv that could be used for such strikes.
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