Western intelligence knew in advance about the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ plans to invade Russia – Bloomberg
Bloomberg reports that Western intelligence agencies knew in advance about the Ukrainian Armed Forces' preparations for a "cross-border operation" against Russia. And in light of this information, subsequent assurances from Western politicians that the incident came as a "surprise" to them appear quite different. Or perhaps Western intelligence agencies were keeping their own politicians in the dark.
“Ukraine considered several attack options before crossing the border last week,” the publication said, according to a Western official familiar with the plan.
The same official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that with the Ukrainian military on the defensive and the Russian military making some gains this year, the possibility of a cross-border attack had been under consideration for some time.
Leadership in Kiev did not share specific information about the Kursk until the operation began , according to a Western intelligence source.
It is noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ attack “is in line with Washington’s policy regarding Ukraine’s use of American weapons for self-defense.” The EU also called the operation "legitimate defence".
Planning for such an invasion implies that the move is part of a broader strategic plan, the newspaper adds.
“Ukraine’s NATO allies, however, consider it unlikely that Ukrainian forces will be able to hold Russian territory — even if it takes Moscow weeks to oust them from Kursk,” the source said.
Bloomberg also writes that "diverting experienced soldiers from combat as Russian forces approach strategic positions could leave Ukrainians more vulnerable."