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According to unofficial reports, the United States has been helping Ukraine carry out long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities for several months.
This is reported in a Financial Times article.
Several Ukrainian and U.S. officials familiar with the campaign said American intelligence has allowed Ukrainian forces to strike key Russian energy targets, including oil refineries far from the front line.
This support, which intensified from mid-summer, had not previously been reported.
The change came after a phone call between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July, when, according to the FT, the U.S. president asked whether Ukraine could strike Moscow if Washington provided long-range weapons.
Trump expressed support for a strategy meant to “make them (the Russians) feel pain” and push the Kremlin toward negotiations, two sources familiar with the conversation said. The White House later said Trump was “simply asking a question, not encouraging further killings.”
Officials familiar with the matter said U.S. intelligence helps Kyiv plan routes, altitudes, timing and mission decisions, enabling Ukrainian long-range drones to evade Russian air-defense systems.
Three people familiar with the operation said Washington was closely involved at every stage of planning. A U.S. official said Ukraine chose targets for strikes, and Washington then supplied intelligence on vulnerabilities of those targets.
But others involved in or briefed on the operations said the U.S. also prioritized targets for the Ukrainians. One source described the Ukrainian drones as a “tool” for Washington to damage Russia’s economy and push Putin toward a settlement.
Trump has openly expressed his frustration with Putin since rolling out the red carpet for his Russian counterpart at the Alaska summit, which produced no noticeable progress. Sources said this was also a factor in Trump’s shift toward supporting long-range strikes.
As a reminder, on Saturday President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a conversation with Donald Trump.
According to Axios, during that call Zelenskyy discussed the possibility of Ukraine receiving long-range Tomahawk missiles.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that detailed and active discussions with the United States are currently underway regarding the potential provision of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
Read also: Ukraine to Receive Additional €8.4 Billion Under ERA Mechanism by Year-End – Dombrovskis
