US and France gave Ukraine intelligence to bypass Russian air defenses in strikes on oil refineries
The United States and France provided Ukraine with intelligence that helped map Russian air defense positions, allowing drones to evade them during attacks on oil refineries, the Financial Times reported.
According to Ukrainian officials cited by the Financial Times, the United States and France have supplied Ukraine with intelligence that enabled Kyiv to map out Russian air defense positions. This information allowed drones to slip past those defenses during strikes on oil refineries.
The same intelligence also helped Ukraine's military refine its target selection, assisting commanders in understanding exactly "where to hit," the FT's sources said. Ukrainian military planners, drone operators, and energy specialists stated that the strikes are no longer aimed simply at setting refineries on fire or destroying storage tanks — the goal now is to keep each facility offline for as long as possible.
Before each mission, engineers and industry specialists brief drone operators on which components are critical to a refinery's operations, they said. The Ukrainian military has also begun hitting that same equipment again before repairs can be finished, according to drone operators themselves and satellite imagery reviewed by the FT.
In early July, as Ukraine stepped up strikes on Russian oil refineries — including ones far from the front line — the Financial Times reported, citing senior Ukrainian officials, that American intelligence assistance "played a role" in the attacks, helping Kyiv plot drone routes and evade air defense systems.
