“Beware”: the US will not transfer data on targets in Russia to Ukraine

Two prohibitions on the exchange of information

“The United States is sending billions of dollars worth of military equipment to Ukraine, including heavy artillery, drones, and anti-tank missiles. Administration officials publicly listed these shipments and reported the number of shells in practice. They are much more careful when describing another major contributor: intelligence on the Russian military.” reported Washington Post newspaper.

The publication explained that “information on the location and movement of Russian troops arrived in Ukraine in real time and includes satellite imagery and reports from classified sources in the United States,” citing anonymous sources led by the American and Ukrainian.

“The United States is not at war with Russia and the purpose of their assistance is to protect Ukraine from an illegal invasion,” Biden representatives said. In practice, however, US officials have limited control over how their Ukrainian beneficiaries use military hardware and intelligence.

Because it “risks provoking the Kremlin to retaliate against the United States and its allies and raises the threat of direct confrontation between the two nuclear powers,” the US administration has developed an intelligence-sharing guide aimed at preventing escalation of tensions between Washington and Moscow. .

“A guide for intelligence officers <...> It imposed a double ban on the types of data the US could share with Ukraine. First, the United States is unable to provide detailed information that would help Ukraine kill Russian leaders such as top officers or ministers… For example, it fell between Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. this category, ”said the authors of the material.

The article explains that this ban does not apply to Russian officers, including generals, some of whom allegedly died on the battlefield.

The second category of prohibited intelligence sharing is any information that could help Ukraine attack Russian targets outside of Ukraine. This rule is partly aimed at preventing the United States from participating in attacks that Ukraine might launch inside Russia. These concerns have caused the administration to suspend plans to procure Polish-supplied warplanes that Ukraine could use to attack Russian soil, sources told the Washington Post.

At the same time, it was noted that “US officials do not discourage Ukraine from conducting such operations on its own.”

On May 9, it was learned that US President Joe Biden found the country’s role in the Ukraine conflict overblown after a media leak about intelligence exchanges with Ukraine took place. This was announced by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. According to him, the American leader is not happy with the leaks and does not believe they are constructive.

“His view is that our role is overstated and the role of Ukrainians is underestimated, along with false statements,” Psaki said.

The role of US intelligence

On May 5, CNN cited sources knowledgeableHe said the United States had provided intelligence that allegedly helped Ukraine attack the Russian military cruiser Moskva.

Noticing a Russian warship in the Black Sea, Ukrainian forces sought out American contacts to confirm that it was indeed “Moscow”. The United States responded positively and provided intelligence on his whereabouts, sources close to the events told CNN.

The article says it’s not yet clear whether the US knew about Ukraine’s intention to hit the ship, but the Americans “did not agree with making this decision.” The authors of the material also claim that the ship “sank after being hit by two Ukrainian cruise missiles on April 14, dealing a serious blow to the Russian army”.

“The United States has been providing intelligence to Ukrainian forces about Russian troop movements inside Ukraine for several months, including intercepted reports of Russian military plans. They (United States – socialbites.ca) also provide information on naval data to Ukraine to help them better understand the threat posed by Russian ships in the Black Sea, ”the CNN article said. .

At the same time, the Pentagon denied CNN’s knowledge of data transmission to Ukraine. This was reported by the New York Times, citing a statement by department spokesperson John Kirby.

“The Ukrainians have their own intelligence capabilities to track and target the Russian warships involved in this incident (with the Moscow cruiser – socialbites.ca),” a Pentagon spokesperson said.

The Russian Ministry of Defense denied information about the Ukrainian attack, which allegedly killed the cruiser Moscow.

On the night of April 14, the Ministry of Defense reported that there was a fire on the ship. According to the agency, due to the fire on the ship, the ammunition exploded, the fire was soon localized and the explosions stopped. However, the cruiser was severely damaged and sank while towing in “stormy sea conditions”.

396 crew members were evacuated, but one was killed and 27 were lost “during damage control of the ship”.