According to a report, the United States is secretly providing real-time battlefield intelligence to Ukraine, which has directly helped its military kill Russian generals, sparking an angry response from the Kremlin on Thursday.
Washington has provided important intelligence that has helped pinpoint Russia’s mobile military headquarters and predict its movement, according to The New York Times, citing a number of senior US officials.
The intelligence was “crucial” and directly led to the killing of “many” Russian generals in Ukraine, anonymous officials told the newspaper, without giving a number.
Earlier, Ukraine claimed to have killed at least 12 Russian generals. The report emphasizes that not all are due to US signals.
Defense Minister Lloyd Austin – who met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Kyiv last month – acknowledged that the United States wanted to “see Russia weakened to the point that it could not do the things it did when it invaded Ukraine.”
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told The Times that the United States was providing Ukraine with information and intelligence that it could use to defend itself, while refusing to “talk about the details.”
Defense Minister Lloyd Austin admits that the United States wants to “see Russia weakened to the point that it cannot do the things it did during the invasion of Ukraine.” Andrade-Rhoades / Pool / CNP via ZUMA Press Wire Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Kyiv last month. Presidency of Ukraine / ZUMA Press Wire Service Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the United States is providing “Ukraine with information and intelligence that it can use to defend itself.” Manuel Balche Sineta / AP
However, the US National Security Council condemned The Times’ report as misleading and irresponsible.
“The United States is providing intelligence on the battlefield to help Ukrainians defend their country,” NSC spokeswoman Adrien Watson told Agence France-Presse.
“We do not provide intelligence with the intention of killing Russian generals.
Washington has reportedly provided important intelligence that has helped Ukraine identify Russia’s mobile military quarters and anticipate their movement. Maxim Marusenko / NurPhoto via ZUMA Press The bodies of unidentified men believed to be Russian soldiers near a village recently returned by Ukrainian forces.Felipe Dana / AP
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the report on Thursday, saying that in response, “the Russian military is doing everything necessary in this situation.”
“Our military is aware that the United States, Britain and NATO in general are constantly transmitting intelligence and other parameters to the Ukrainian armed forces,” he told reporters.
He acknowledged that intelligence, along with arms supplies from the West, “did not contribute to the speedy completion of the (Russian) operation”.
Remains of a body seen by a destroyed Russian helicopter. Carlos Bariya / Reuters Smoke twists from Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant after a Russian attack.
However, he insisted that they “are not in a position to hinder the achievement of the set goals”.
The answer came after Ukraine said five people had been killed and at least 25 wounded in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours due to Russian shelling.
Luhansk regional governor Sergei Haidai said Russian troops shelled the region 24 times on Wednesday, hitting the cities of Severodonetsk, Lisichansk, Girske and Popasna, damaging at least 23 houses and killing five people.
“Our military is aware that the United States, Britain and NATO in general are constantly transmitting intelligence,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. AP Russia insisted that US intelligence could not hinder the achievement of the set goals. “Russian President Vladimir Putin is shown at a meeting here. Mikhail Klimentyev / Kremlin / Sputnik / Pool / EPA
At least 25 people were injured in the shelling of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region during the night, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kirilenko said on Thursday. He added that nine houses, a school and other civilian infrastructure were damaged as a result.
With postal wires
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