US to share operational intelligence data with Ukraine

The US Department of Defense is developing a plan to provide Ukraine with intelligence data that will help respond more quickly to a possible Russian invasion. This is reported by The New York Times, citing high-ranking sources.

According to them, if the plan is approved by President Joe Biden, it can anger Russia.

A group of Pentagon officials recently visited Ukraine to assess the country’s air defense needs, said agency spokesman John Kirby.

The US has already been supplying Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank missiles. But, as the New York Times notes, the Pentagon’s offer of operational intelligence data is potentially more significant. The information will include images showing the movement of Russian troops and allowing Ukraine to determine if they intend to cross the border.

The article notes that the Biden administration realizes how important real-time awareness is to the Ukrainian government. US intelligence agencies have already been giving Kyiv access to more materials than before the buildup of Russian troops, one of the interlocutors said.

Among the measures discussed by the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department are the redirection of military helicopters and other military equipment previously intended for Afghanistan to Ukraine. Besides, the US administration is considering sending additional cyber warfare experts to Ukraine. According to the New York Times, the United States and Great Britain have already sent a number of experts in this area against the prospect of a possible “cyber attack on Ukraine.”

Ukraine Front Lines