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Ukraine seeks US intelligence on targets inside Russia – media

Washington has previously denied such appeals to avoid escalation.

byYevheniia Martyniuk

18/05/2024

2 minute read

Oil depots on fire in Bryansk, Russia, on the morning of 25 April 2022. Screenshot from a social media video.

Ukraine seeks US intelligence on targets inside Russia – media

Kyiv has urgently requested more US intelligence on Russian troop deployments and military sites within Russia itself, The WSJ reported, citing American and Ukrainian officials. A Ukrainian parliamentary group also pressed US Congress members in Washington to allow Ukraine to strike targets in Russia with American weapons.

While the US has previously denied such appeals to avoid escalation, Ukraine’s requests have grown more insistent as Russia exploits delays in US weapons shipments and intensifies its Kharkiv offensive.

Formally, Washington’s stance remains unchanged – not encouraging or facilitating strikes into Russian territory. However, the US does provide some intelligence on Russian forces near Ukraine’s borders.

According to the NYT, Kyiv seeks data to better guide drones and missiles into Russia, plotting courses outside Russian radar coverage. Currently, Ukraine relies on commercial satellite imagery to monitor major Russian bases, but US intelligence could offer higher quality, real-time targeting information.

Two weeks ago, Britain became the first NATO ally to state Ukraine could use British weapons to hit Russian soil. During his Kyiv visit, Secretary Blinken said while the US discourages strikes outside Ukraine, Kyiv must ultimately “make its own decisions” on warfare conduct.

This year, the US provided Ukraine with ATACMS ballistic missiles for the first time, capable of hitting targets up to 300 kilometers away. It is believed that these were used by the Ukrainian army to strike the Belbek airfield in occupied Crimea, where Russian military aircraft are based. On the night of May 15-16, three fighter jets were destroyed there.

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