(CNN) — When Ukraine successfully attacked the prized Russian warship last month with anti-ship missiles, he had the help of the United States.
Ukrainian forces, following spotting the Russian warship in the Black Sea, called their American contacts to confirm that it was indeed the Moskva, sources familiar with the events told CNN. The United States answered yes and provided intelligence on her location. However, it is unclear whether the US knew Ukraine would move to attack the ship and the US was not involved in that decision, the sources said.
In a subsequent statement to CNN, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said: “We did not provide Ukraine with specific targeting information for the Moskva. We were not involved in the Ukrainians’ decision to attack the ship or in the operation that they carried out. We had no prior knowledge of Ukraine’s intention to attack the ship. The Ukrainians have their own intelligence capabilities to track and target Russian warships, as they did in this case.”
The ship sank following being hit by two Ukrainian missiles on April 14, dealing a major blow to the Russian military.
The episode, first reported by NBC Newsreflects the increasingly progressive stance of the Biden administration when it comes to sharing intelligence with Ukraine, part of a broader policy shift to help Ukraine defeat Russia decisively on the battlefield and significantly weaken its army.
But it also raises questions regarding what the red lines are for the US and Russia when it comes to US military support for Ukraine.
For months, the United States has provided Ukrainian forces with intelligence on Russian troop movements inside Ukraine, including intercepted communications regarding Russian military planning. It also provides Ukraine with maritime awareness information that allows it to better understand the threat posed by Russian ships in the Black Sea, many of which are firing missiles at Ukrainian territory.
However, there are also clear limits to what the United States will share, multiple sources told CNN.
For example, the US has so far refused to provide Ukraine with information regarding potential targets inside Russia itself. And while the intelligence it shares regarding Russian troop movements inside Ukraine may include details such as vehicles and types of personnel at a particular location, the United States has not provided Ukraine with intelligence regarding the specific whereregardings of Russian military leaders, the U.S. said. authorities.
“We do not provide intelligence on the location of high-ranking military leaders on the battlefield or participate in the targeting decisions of the Ukrainian military,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters on Thursday.
Kirby added that “Ukraine combines the information that we and other partners provide with the intelligence that they themselves collect on the battlefield, and then they make their own decisions and take their own actions.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
