The Pentagon press briefing room at the Pentagon in Washington DC (Credit: DOD)

By  Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

PENTAGON  –  WASHINGTON  –  The NY Times published an explosive article this week claiming the U.S. provided intelligence that has allowed the Ukrainians to target and kill senior Russian generals on the battlefield. It has been noted that there has been an unusually high number of generals killed on the front lines during the two month conflict. Ukraine officials said approximately 12 generals have been killed. The Pentagon strongly denied that the U.S. is providing intel about Russian units. During a press briefing with reporters on Thursday in Washington,  Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby refuted the reports. 

“First, the United States provides battlefield intelligence to help Ukrainians defend their country, and we’ve talked about that quite a bit.  We do not provide intelligence on the location of senior military leaders on the battlefield or participate in the targeting decisions of the Ukrainian military.  The Ukrainians have, quite frankly, a lot more information than we do. “

-Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby May 05, 2022

The NY Times reported that the “targeting help” is part of of a classified effort by the Biden administration to provide real-time battlefield intelligence to Ukraine including anticipated Russian troop movements. When a reporter asked about this,  Kirby said:  “I am not going to talk about intelligence-sharing from this podium.” 

Photo by Gary Raynaldo  /  ©Diplomatic Times /  Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby briefs reporters on the Russia-Ukraine situation at the Pentagon in Washington DC. 

The Pentagon press secretary said Ukraine has capable intel collection abilities. 

“This is their country, their territory, and they have capable intelligence collection abilities of their own.  Ukraine combines information that we and other partners provide with the intelligence that they themselves are gathering on the battlefield, and then they make their own decisions and they take their own actions.  And I think it’s important not to forget this is a war the Russians started, and of course, they can end it tomorrow.”

Biden announces up to $150 million Ukraine military aid package as Russian forces continue offensive  in eastern Ukraine 

 The Department of Defense (DoD) announced on Friday May 6,   the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to an additional $150 million. This authorization is the ninth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Kirby. 

The package includes: 

-(25,000) 155mm artillery rounds;

-(3) AN/TPQ-36 counter-artillery radars; and

-Electronic jamming equipment; and

-Field equipment and spare parts