U.S. to Provide Ukraine With Intelligence for Missile Strikes Deep Inside Russia: Trump has approved sharing targeting data with Ukrainians as the administration weighs sending powerful weapons
https://www.wsj.com/world/u-s-to-provide-ukraine-with-intelligence-for-missile-strikes-deep-inside-russia-ca7b2276?st=rYxPGh
by rulepanic
17 comments
Trump admin recently lifted restrictions on US weapons hitting targets in Russia. (Not in this article)
Admin is now providing targeting data for targets in Russia, including energy targets.
They’re now discussing providing multiple cruise missiles models including tomahawk and barracuda.
———————–
U.S. to Provide Ukraine With Intelligence for Missile Strikes Deep Inside Russia
Trump has approved sharing targeting data with Ukrainians as the administration weighs sending powerful weapons
The U.S. will provide Ukraine with intelligence for long-range missile strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure, American officials said, as the Trump administration weighs sending Kyiv powerful weapons that could put in range more targets within Russia.
President Trump recently signed off on allowing intelligence agencies and the Pentagon to aid Kyiv with the strikes. U.S. officials are asking North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies to provide similar support, these people said. The expanded intelligence-sharing with Kyiv is the latest sign that Trump is deepening support for Ukraine as his efforts to advance peace talks have stalled.
It is the first time, officials say, that the Trump administration will aid Ukrainian strikes with long-range missiles against energy targets deep inside Russian territory.
While the U.S. has long assisted Kyiv’s drone and missile attacks, the intelligence sharing means Ukraine will be better able to hit refineries, pipelines, power stations and other infrastructure far from its borders, with the goal of depriving the Kremlin of revenue and oil to sustain its invasion.
The U.S. is also weighing deliveries of Tomahawks and Barracudas and other American-made ground- and air-launched missiles that have ranges of around 500 miles, other administration officials said. No decision on what to send—if anything—has been made, the officials said.
The intelligence, combined with more powerful weapons, could have a far more potent effect than Ukraine’s previous strikes in Russia, causing greater damage to its energy infrastructure and tying up Russian air defenses. U.S. officials are awaiting written guidance from the White House before sharing the necessary intelligence, one official said.
A spokesman for the Defense Intelligence Agency said he couldn’t comment on ongoing or active intelligence operations. A spokeswoman for the Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment.
The administration recently approved the sale to Ukraine of Extended Range Attack Munitions, an air-launched missile that can travel between 150 and 280 miles. Tomahawk cruise missiles, one of the most precise U.S. weapons, have a range of around 1,500 miles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed last week that he asked Trump for Tomahawks. Vice President JD Vance said Sunday on Fox News that the U.S. was considering Ukraine’s request.
The approval to provide additional intelligence came shortly before Trump vented his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a social-media post last week announcing that Ukraine could recover all of its seized territory, U.S. officials said. Trump had previously said Ukraine couldn’t win the fight without being able to strike inside Russia.
Ukraine has been carrying out drone attacks inside Russia for years, but the Trump administration has limited its use of the most powerful weapons and the intelligence it shares. The Trump administration stopped new deliveries of Army Tactical Missile Systems, or Atacms, which had initially been sent to Ukraine under the Biden administration.
The Pentagon imposed a review process for each time Ukrainians want to use them. That veto has prevented Kyiv from launching U.S.-supplied Atacms, which have a range of about 190 miles, into Russia since late spring. On at least one occasion, Ukraine sought to use the missiles against a target on Russian territory but its request was rejected.
Since taking office in January, Trump has sought to broker a cease-fire in Ukraine as a path toward a broader settlement. His initial approach—offering Putin economic and commercial incentives to halt the invasion—has failed to gain traction with the Russian leader. Negotiations to end the 3½-year war have stalled after a series of meetings between Russian and U.S. leaders.
The president has signaled that he may now be pursuing a different course. Trump has received multiple briefings in recent days on the situation on the battlefield and has been focused on Russia’s lack of territorial gains. His public comments have been critical of Russia’s progress in the war.
“Everyone thought Russia would win this war in three days, but it didn’t work out that way. It was supposed to be just a quick little skirmish. It’s not making Russia look good,” Trump said during a speech to the United Nations last week.
The Kremlin issued a restrained response to reports that America could send powerful new weapons to Ukraine.
Moscow is carefully analyzing U.S. statements about delivering Tomahawks to Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
“The question remains: Who can launch these missiles, even if they end up on Kyiv regime territory?” Peskov said. “Can only Ukrainians launch them, or will the American military do so? Who is assigning the targeting to these missiles? This requires a very thorough analysis.”
European officials welcomed the move. Germany has invested around $350 million into developing Ukraine’s industrial capacity to manufacture deep-strike capabilities.
Ukraine needs assistance in three key areas of confronting Russian aggression: air defenses, the ability to hold the front line and the ability to strike deep into Russia, said Brig. Gen. Joachim Kaschke, who oversees Germany’s military aid to Ukraine. When the Ukrainian defenders are facing a numerically superior adversary, they have to take the fight beyond the front lines, Kaschke said.
“You have to cut off the supply lines to hold the front line—that is the military logic behind it,” Kaschke said.
At least for now, the fickle fucker is doing something good. Let’s hope Putin doesn’t compliment his hair.
Trump wants to claim credit for winning the Ukraine war, and wants to have a statue of himself striking a heroic pose erected in Kiev.
Putin’s intelligence services should have warned him about the risks of pissing off President Trump. Whatever one thinks of Trump politically, it’s hard to deny that he thrives on vengeance and keeps no lasting allies. Once he decides he’s against you, he’ll do everything in his power to bring you down, just ask former Vice President Pence.
Trump is mad that Putin is making him look bad. Trump thought he could talk Putin into a peace deal and then Putin laughed in his face. Even Trump realized he’s been fooled on occasion.
Fingers crossed, cautious optimism that Trump might be changing his mind. But i hope this isn’t going to be another one of Biden’s thingswhere they essentially give the Russians time to prep or mitigate it.
Russian claim this is a severe escalation and will lead to nuclear war coming in 3…2….
Could it be that Trump realized the Epstein files will soon blow up to his face, that it cannot be avoided, and that it was the only piece of leverage that Putin had on him? And that renders Putin’s leverage void?
Do we think Putin lost whatever he had over Trump?
Or Trump smells a win via Ukraine ?
Lovers quarrel
Let’s remember that who stopped sharing intel with Ukraine.
Not sure I’d trust it
Smells fishy
Wow, not a single “TACO” in the comment section? Could it be true? Are all the karma farming hyuksters asleep?
Fckin’ A
Blast em to smithereens and end this already
I wouldn’t trust that data. Heck I would have it checked with reliable European partners. Heck I would probably trust more smoke signals before anything from the Trump house.
Watch Kegsbreath block it.
Comments are closed.