The Ukrainian military has killed a number of Russian generals as a result of intelligence provided by the United States (US), the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Ukrainian officials told the NYT that approximately 12 Russian generals have been killed on the battlefront as a result of Ukrainian forces acting on US intelligence. The intelligence “is part of a classified effort by the Biden administration to provide real-time battlefield intelligence to Ukraine,” the Times said.
The intelligence includes expected Russian troop movements that the US has gathered from a secret Russian battle plan for eastern Ukraine. Moreover, Washington has been providing Ukrainian troops with details about the location of the Russian military’s mobile headquarters in Ukraine.
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The Ukrainian military has combined these intelligence reports with their own information, including intercepted communications, about Russian troop presence to conduct artillery strikes and other attacks that have killed Russian generals and soldiers.
The intelligence support to Ukraine is part of the Biden administration’s renewed push to provide Ukraine with greater aid. Following increased pressure on the Biden administration, the US announced that it will provide Ukraine with more intelligence and heavier weapons and in this respect, approved another $800 million in military assistance, including helicopters and heavy artillery.
The #US has "has focused on providing the location and other details about the #Russian military's mobile headquarters", helping #Ukraine, which has its own intelligence exploiting Russia's weak communications security, to kill 12 Generals so far. https://t.co/nynLgXLUMR
— Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) May 5, 2022
Apart from this, the US has provided Ukraine with around 12,000 anti-tank missiles, 1,400 Stinger missiles, and over 50 million rounds of ammunition. Furthermore, Joe Biden recently asked Congress to authorize $33 billion more in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
The NYT also reported that Washington has been providing Kyiv with the latest weaponry to improve the Ukrainian military’s ability to target senior Russian officials in the battleground. For instance, the US has provided Ukraine with Switchblade drones that are capable of hitting enemy targets without making much noise and thereby proving difficult to detect. These drones are also equipped with loitering capability, enabling them to locate targets on their own and crash into them.
US intelligence and weapons supplies to Ukraine have been crucial in soldiers halting Russian military advances as well as preventing Russia from taking over the capital Kyiv. For instance, shortly after the invasion began on February 24, the US warned Ukraine that Russian forces planned to take the Hostomel airport near Kyiv. As a result, Ukraine was able to prepare for a Russian assault and was ultimately successful in defending the airport.
The US is also wary that its actions might provoke Vladimir Putin into expanding the already devastating war that has resulted in mass civilian casualties and millions of refugees. However, according to the NYT, the US still considers intelligence-sharing a safer form of assistance, as it is invisible and can be denied.