Ukrainian forces, after noticing the Russian warship in the Black Sea, called their American contacts to confirm that it was in fact “Moscow”, sources familiar with the events told CNN. The United States responded that it was, and provided intelligence on its location. However, it is unclear whether the United States knew that Ukraine would strike at the ship and the United States did not participate in the decision, sources said. The episode, first reported by NBC News, reflects the Biden administration’s growing propensity for sharing intelligence with Ukraine as part of a broader policy change to help Ukraine defeat Russia decisively in battle. field and significantly weaken its army.
But it also raises questions about the red lines for the United States and Russia when it comes to US military support for Ukraine.
For months, the United States has been providing Ukrainian forces with intelligence on the movement of Russian troops in Ukraine, including intercepted communications about Russian military planning. It also provides Ukraine with maritime awareness information to help the country better understand the threat posed by Russian ships in the Black Sea, many of which launch missiles into Ukrainian territory.
However, there are clear limits to what the United States will share, many sources told CNN.
For example, the United States has so far refused to provide information to Ukraine on potential targets in Russia itself. And while intelligence the United States shares about the movement of Russian troops in Ukraine may include details such as vehicles and types of personnel in a particular location, the United States has not provided Ukraine with intelligence on the whereabouts of specific Russian military leaders, officials said.
“We do not provide intelligence on the whereabouts of senior military leaders on the battlefield and are not involved in decisions to target the Ukrainian military,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday.
Kirby added that “Ukraine combines the information we and other partners provide with the intelligence they gather on the battlefield, and then they make their own decisions and actions.”
After a series of military and logistical failures, Moscow has recently focused on the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, which has been on the front lines of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Heavy fighting continued on Thursday at the Azovstal steel complex, according to Lt. Col. Denis Prokopenko, the plant’s Ukrainian commander. He claims that the Russians have broken their promise to allow civilians to leave the evacuation corridors on Thursday. It is estimated that there are still between 200 and 300 civilians in the plant, including 30 children. It has been bombarded by land, sea and air since Sunday.
“For two days the enemy has been invading the territory of the plant. Heavy, bloody battles are being fought,” Prokopenko said.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.
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