The New York Times reports that American intelligence circles are trying to prevent Ukraine from planning and executing an attack on Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the Russian General Staff.
Officials in the United States allegedly learned of Gerasimov’s secret plan to visit frontline positions, yet they kept this information from Kyiv, fearing that an attack could trigger a broader war between the United States and Russia.
According to the publication, Washington Opposes Kyiv’s attempts to strike Gerasimov because of concerns about escalating the conflict. It is claimed that American authorities did not share intelligence about the general’s movements with Ukrainian decision-makers, but Kyiv reportedly discovered the visit anyway. After the White House approved certain steps, U.S. officials reportedly urged Kyiv to halt the operation. Kyiv, however, maintained that the offensive had already begun.
An unnamed American official is quoted as saying, “We told them not to do this.” The article notes that the warning arrived too late, and Ukrainian forces reported hitting Gerasimov’s position, with numerous Russian casualties. Gerasimov himself was not among the injured or killed, according to the unnamed source.
The report does not disclose the source of this information. Gerasimov’s trip is alleged to have occurred in April, but exact details of his location were not provided. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not acknowledge such trips by Gerasimov. In the summer, Moscow indicated that the Chief of Staff oversaw troop groups involved in the operation in Ukraine but did not specify locations.
On December 17, the Kremlin announced that Gerasimov, along with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the commander of the troop grouping in the operation zone, Sergei Surovikin, attended a briefing with President Vladimir Putin. During the meeting, Putin learned about the work of the joint headquarters, received a report on the progress of the hostilities, and held discussions with commanders.
Ukraine confirms assassination attempt
Aleksey Arestovich, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, affirmed the report to a major publication. He stated that the attempt occurred in the latter half of April or in May in Izyum, in the Kharkiv region. Arestovich asserts that Kyiv aimed to disrupt the Russian General Staff when Gerasimov entered the operational zone in the spring.
“Let me share something about the operation. Gerasimov was in Izyum, and we targeted him. It happened,” said the adviser. He added that Ukrainian forces protected the headquarters housing Gerasimov but the Russian general managed to depart slightly earlier.
According to Arestovich, Ukrainian forces did not hesitate to strike quickly, pursuing the target across the territory. He emphasized that the decision to engage was made decisively and without hesitation.
Discussing the NYT report about Kyiv coordinating with U.S. authorities, the Ukrainian adviser noted that the Armed Forces typically do not request permission before taking action. Still, he confirmed that Ukraine could receive intelligence support from the United States.
American intelligence aid
In May, the report indicated that U.S. intelligence used to strike Russian forces was shared with Ukraine. The information allegedly included anticipated movements of Russian troops. At the same time, the report claims that American channels did not relay details about senior Russian commanders to Kyiv in order to prevent a broader crisis with Moscow.
The publication states that Ukraine combines U.S.-provided intelligence with its own data to coordinate operations. Earlier, a Pentagon spokesperson suggested that information provided to Ukraine could be used for offensive purposes.
These accounts reflect how intelligence-sharing and operational decision-making intersect in a high-stakes environment, where the aim is to support Ukrainian defenses without triggering wider conflict.