According to reports, US intelligence helped Ukraine locate and sink Russia’s flagship in the Black Sea last month.
The sinking of Moscow, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on April 14, was considered a major victory for Ukraine as it sought to thwart Russia’s military might. Two cruise missiles sank the ship in an embarrassing strike on Moscow.
Russia then said the ship sank while being towed to port. Ukraine said it sank after hitting it with two shots.
Russia says at least one person has been killed and several dozen sailors missing. The ship is said to have had more than 500 crew members.
Numerous reports in the American media reported on Thursday that officials in Washington had revealed that the United States had provided intelligence to help Ukraine find the warship.
NBC News reported that the attack came after Ukrainian forces asked the Americans about a ship sailing in the Black Sea south of Odessa.
The United States identified it as “Moscow”, officials said, and helped confirm its whereabouts, after which Ukrainians directed the ship.
U.S. officials, who are not identified in the reports, say Washington did not have a warning in advance that Ukraine would turn to Moscow and “did not take part in the decision to strike.”
Regardless of the specific level of involvement of the US intelligence community, the revelation may raise concerns about Washington’s growing role in defending Ukraine, a participation that President Joe Biden says he does not want to escalate.
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This came a day after the New York Times reported that the United States was helping Ukraine with intelligence that allowed it to assassinate a number of Russian generals, a move some would see as another step in the proxy war between Western and NATO nations helping Kyiv. and Russia.
Ukrainian authorities say they have killed approximately 12 generals on the front line, a number that surprised military analysts.
On Thursday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby denied that the United States provided such specific information to senior Russian officers.
“We do not provide intelligence on the whereabouts of senior military leaders on the battlefield and do not participate in decisions to target the Ukrainian military,” he told reporters in Washington.
“Ukraine combines the information we and other partners provide with the intelligence they gather on the battlefield, then make their own decisions and take their own actions.
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