In addition to sending equipment, American military support to Ukraine from the beginning of the conflict and even before the Russian invasion included valuable intelligence support. Whether it is information through satellites, through interception systems, but also through human means, the Americans have indeed proved their effectiveness and very early on have drawn attention to the inevitable outbreak of Putin’s invasion.
According to the admission of the American services, never before has so much classified information been shared on such a massive scale with a country that is admittedly an ally but not a member of NATO. This emerges from an article published on Tuesday, April 26, on its website by the American channel NBC News, based on statements made by agents, current and former, of the services.
A transport plane was shot down before taking an airport
In particular, the chain tells how the Ukrainians were able to move and protect their own planes and their air batteries thanks to the detailed information thus provided about the exact places where the planes and missiles intended to hit the Russians. In this way, they can preserve their outnumbered defenses in the face of an intense and sustained conflict.
Another case reported by NBC was that of a troop transport plane that was spotted and shot down by Ukrainian defenders early in the war with several hundred men on board. Without this cooperation with the Pentagon, the US Department of Defense, the jumbo jet could have landed and stormed a key airport near Kyiv.
Jake Sullivan’s warning
The French, who benefited from the exchange of information as NATO allies, were also able to measure its effectiveness. In the early days of the invasion, Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, alerted his allies that members of Russian special forces were present in the Kyiv region on a mission to kill President Zelenskyy.
Paris obviously takes the information very seriously, Quai d’Orsay boss Jean-Yves Le Drian even does so publicly – carelessly? – Allusion to the statement that France is ready to do what is necessary for Zelenskyy’s safety. Thanks to American tips, the Ukrainians timely “neutralized” (eliminated in military language) the Russian attackers.