NYT: Sink the Missile Cruiser "Moscow" helped the USA

The United States helped sink the missile cruiser Moskva, The New York Times writes, citing officials. And their colleagues from The Washington Post say that with the help of American intelligence, several high-ranking Russian military men were killed.

The Americans provided intelligence that helped Ukrainian forces locate and strike the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The United States provided assistance in aiming at the target, clarifies The New York Times.

According to some sources of the publication, American intelligence only confirmed the information that Ukraine already had. But other interlocutors told the NYT that the US’s role in the sinking was crucial.

The Pentagon later tried to disassociate itself from this story. Department spokesman John Kirby said that the United States did not provide Ukraine with “specific information for targeting” the cruiser Moskva. He also said that Kyiv made the decision to destroy it on its own, the United States did not know about it in advance.

NYT’s colleagues from The Washington Post published an alarming article about how the Ukrainian side uses US intelligence. The newspaper writes that they arrive in Ukraine in real time, reporting on the movements and positions of Russian troops.

“Very good work. They tell us where the Russians are so that we can hit them,” a Ukrainian official told the publication, simulating a bomb drop on a target with his hand.

It is worth noting that the White House and the Pentagon officially deny such cooperation – in particular, it was said that target designations for the Moskva cruiser were allegedly not transmitted to Ukraine. But the American media reports somewhat different information. At the same time, it is served in an alarming manner.

The Washington Pos notes that the US authorities have limited control over how the Ukrainian military uses the military equipment and intelligence they receive. This risks provoking the Kremlin to retaliate against the United States and its allies, and increases the likelihood of a direct conflict between the two nuclear powers.

Now there are two restrictions on the intelligence information supplied to Kyiv. Firstly, there is no information about the location of the top military and political leadership of the Russian Federation. Including the generals of the Russian army. However, it is claimed that the Pentagon does not provide “active” assistance in this matter. But it is noted that about 20 generals of the Russian Federation died on the territory of Ukraine. Apparently such data is provided, but not “actively”.

Secondly, it is forbidden to disseminate information about targets outside of Ukraine. It was these fears that allegedly forced Biden to suspend the transfer of Polish fighter jets to Ukraine – this could be interpreted as indirect US involvement in the war with Russia.

But “official representatives of the United States” do not consider it necessary to dissuade Ukraine from conducting these operations on its own.

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