Ukraine struck Russian energy sites with US help

The United States has been helping Ukraine for months launch long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities, in what officials say is a coordinated effort to weaken Vladimir Putin’s economy and force him to the negotiating table.

Shared US intelligence with Kiev has enabled strikes on important Russian energy assets, including oil refineries outside its borders. Front lineAccording to several Ukrainian and American officials familiar with the campaign.

The previously unreported support has intensified since mid-summer and was crucial in helping Ukraine carry out the attacks Joe Biden’s White House is frustrated. The Kyiv strikes led to higher energy prices in Russia and prompted Moscow to reduce diesel exports and fuel imports.

The intelligence sharing is the latest sign that Trump has deepened his support for Ukraine as his frustration with Russia grows.

This shift came after a phone call between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky last July The Financial Times reported The US President wondered whether Ukraine could strike Moscow if Washington provided long-range weapons.

The two people familiar with the call said Trump expressed support for a strategy to “make them (the Russians) feel the pain” and force the Kremlin to negotiate. The White House later said Trump was “only asking a question, not encouraging further killing.”

U.S. intelligence helps Kiev shape route planning, altitude, timing and mission decisions, enabling Ukrainian long-range, one-way attack drones to evade Russian air defenses, the officials familiar with the matter said.

Three people familiar with the operation said Washington was closely involved in all stages of planning. A US official said Ukraine selected targets for long-range strikes, and Washington then provided intelligence on the sites’ vulnerabilities.

But others who participated in the operations and were briefed on the operations said the United States also set targeted priorities for the Ukrainians. One described Kiev’s drone force as a “tool” used by Washington to undermine the Russian economy and push Putin toward compromise.

Trump has been vocal about his disappointment with Putin since he rolled out the red carpet for his Russian counterpart at an Alaska summit that yielded no tangible progress. This was a factor in Trump’s shift to supporting deeper strikes, the people said.

Washington has long shared intelligence with Kiev to assist in attacks on Russian military targets in occupied regions of Ukraine, and to provide advance warning of Russian missile and drone attacks. The Biden administration agreed to launch strikes with US Himar and Atakum missiles inside a Russian region on the border with Ukraine after North Korea deployed forces there to support Moscow’s forces.

But the United States did not acknowledge a direct role in the attacks launched by Ukraine on Russian energy facilities. Washington has always remained cautious about actions that could escalate the war and drag it directly into conflict with Moscow.

The increased operational support from the Trump administration stands in stark contrast to what happened earlier in the US president’s second term, when he briefly halted intelligence sharing and military aid to Kiev to pressure it to enter into peace talks with Moscow.

Zelensky refused to talk about the role of US intelligence in the deep strikes carried out by his army inside Russia at a press conference in Kiev on Wednesday. But he said Ukraine “works with US intelligence, primarily to defend ourselves,” referring to the Patriot, NASAMS and IRIS-T air defense systems provided by Western partners.

Ukraine’s recent success in deep strikes is mostly due to technological development of drones and increased domestic production, which has allowed Kiev to launch more aircraft simultaneously. “Our drones, our drones and some missiles are getting better: more uses and more production,” he said.

Most deep strikes are carried out by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and the Unmanned Systems Forces branch of the country’s Armed Forces. But other intelligence and military units also play a role in the attacks.

Zelensky said Ukrainian long-range Fire Point and Liutyi aircraft – sometimes as many as 300 in a single operation – led the squadron’s attacks. But Ukrainian forces recently fired homemade Neptune and Flamingo missiles at targets inside Russia.

The Ukrainian Security Service said on Saturday that long-range drones of its Alpha unit succeeded in hitting the Bashneft-UNPZ oil refinery in Ufa, about 1,400 kilometers from Ukraine. The factory is one of the largest refineries in Russia, supplying the Russian army with fuel and lubricants.

This is the third attack on energy facilities in the Russian region of Bashkortostan in the past month.

The Ukrainian Security Service told the Financial Times that its “long-range strikes are aimed at destroying the enemy’s military potential – including its economic capabilities.” She added that Kyiv will work to increase the number and scope of strikes inside Russia.

A White House official said the war “would never have happened” under Trump’s presidency and that he was “trying to stop it.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Defense declined to comment.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this month that it was “obvious” that the United States and NATO were providing intelligence to Ukraine “on a regular basis,” including strikes on Russian energy targets.

Trump has not decided whether to provide long-range missiles to Ukraine, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, saying on Monday that he wants to learn more about how they will be used.

Zelensky said on Wednesday that the Tomahawk option was being considered and that it “could strengthen Ukraine and alert the Russians a little bit.”

Shortly after the July call, the four people familiar with the Ukrainian drone deep strike operation said U.S. intelligence with a new level of specificity began flowing into Kiev. This information allowed Kiev to better map Russian air defenses and plan strike routes.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities and pipelines supporting Moscow’s war effort escalated dramatically in August and September. The damage forced Moscow to do so Reducing diesel exports Increasing its dependence on imported fuel.

At least 16 of the country’s 38 oil refineries have been bombed, some repeatedly, knocking out more than 1 million barrels per day of refining capacity, according to research group Energy Aspects. Russian videos on social media, verified by the Financial Times and independent analysts, showed several large oil and gas facilities on fire.

Zelensky said on Wednesday that Moscow was importing gasoline — “particularly from Belarus and China” — and had restricted exports. He added that Russia likely lost up to 20 percent of its fuel production capacity due to the Ukrainian strikes.

Additional reporting: Ben Hall and Chris Cook in London