【By Observer News, Chen Sijia】On October 11 local time, the Ukrainian Security Service announced that the Ukrainian military used drones to attack an oil refinery in Ufa, the capital of the Bashkortostan Republic in Russia, which is more than 1,400 kilometers away from Ukraine and one of Russia's largest refineries. This was the third attack on energy facilities in the Bashkortostan region in the past month.
According to a report by the Financial Times, the United States has provided intelligence support to Ukraine for several months, helping the Ukrainian military attack important energy facilities in Russia. Several informed sources claimed that President Donald Trump was dissatisfied with the slow progress in the Ukraine-Russia negotiations and supported Ukraine's attacks on energy facilities to pressure Russia into returning to the negotiating table.
Two informed sources said that after a July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, Trump's stance on the Ukraine issue changed, and he expressed support for a "strategy that would make Russians suffer" and could "force the Kremlin to negotiate." He once asked Zelensky whether Ukraine could attack Moscow, the Russian capital, if the US provided weapons.
The White House at the time explained that Trump "was just asking a question, not encouraging further killing." However, Ukrainian and US officials revealed that after that, the US intelligence agencies began helping Ukraine plan the routes, flight altitudes, timing, and mission decisions of drone attacks, enhancing the ability of Ukrainian drones to evade Russian air defense systems.
Informed sources told the Financial Times that the US intelligence support enabled Ukraine to attack important Russian energy assets, including attacking refineries in the rear of Russia.
Footage of the Russian oil refinery attacked on October 11 circulating on social media
Informants said that the US was closely involved in all stages of planning, and Ukraine chose remote targets for strikes, then the US intelligence agencies provided information on the defensive vulnerabilities of these locations. Some other people revealed that the US also provided a list of priority strike targets to Ukraine and described Ukraine's drones as a tool for the US to "weaken Russia's economy and push Russia to the negotiation table."
The US has long shared intelligence with Ukraine to help it attack Russian military targets and warn of incoming Russian missile and drone attacks. However, the US has never acknowledged direct involvement in Ukraine's airstrikes on Russian energy facilities and does not want to be directly involved in the conflict with Russia.
After Trump took office, the US briefly stopped providing intelligence support to Ukraine. However, informants said that after the call in July, the US began providing more specific intelligence to Ukraine. These sources said that because the Ukraine-Russia negotiations have made no progress, Trump was disappointed with Russian President Putin, which prompted Trump to turn to supporting "deeper strikes."
The report stated that the US and Ukraine hope to hit Russian energy facilities to raise domestic energy prices in Russia and weaken its energy export capabilities, thus forcing Russia to return to the negotiating table.
Research institution Energy Aspects estimated that at least 16 of Russia's 38 refineries have been attacked, with some facilities being attacked repeatedly, affecting a daily refining capacity of one million barrels.
Regarding the information disclosed by the Financial Times, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Defense refused to comment. A White House official claimed that during Trump's presidency, "war never happened," and he was "trying to prevent war."
At a briefing held on October 8 local time, Zelensky also refused to talk about the support provided by the US intelligence agencies to Ukraine. But he said that Ukraine is cooperating with the US intelligence agencies "mainly to improve defense capabilities."
Zelensky said that the recent achievements in deep strikes by Ukraine mainly benefited from the upgrading and increased production of Ukrainian drone technology, allowing the Ukrainian army to conduct more attacks. He said, "The performance and versatility of our drones and some missiles are improving, and their production is increasing."
On September 23, Trump and Zelensky met at the UN General Assembly. China Vision
The attacks on Russian energy facilities were mainly carried out by the Ukrainian Security Service and the drone forces, but other intelligence and military units also played a role. On October 11 local time, the Ukrainian Security Service announced that the Ukrainian military used drones to attack an oil refinery in Ufa, the capital of the Bashkortostan Republic in Russia.
The refinery is more than 1,400 kilometers away from Ukraine and is one of Russia's largest refineries. The Financial Times reported that this was the third attack on energy facilities in the Bashkortostan region in the past month. The Ukrainian Security Service stated that the attack aimed to "destroy Russia's military potential, including its economic capacity," and the Ukrainian military will strive to increase the number of attacks and expand the scope of attacks.
Russian President's Press Secretary Peskov previously stated that it is clear that the US and NATO regularly provide intelligence to Ukraine, including helping Ukraine attack Russian energy facilities. According to TASS, Putin stated that Ukraine's attacks on Russian civilian facilities will not succeed.
Zelensky is calling on the US to provide "Tomahawk" cruise missiles, but Trump has not made a decision yet. In response, Putin emphasized on October 5 that if the US provides "Tomahawk" missiles to Ukraine, it would trigger a new round of significant escalation, which would be very dangerous and would not change the battlefield situation. Russia would have to respond at the same level.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 11th that in the past day, Russia had struck transportation and energy infrastructure that supported the Ukrainian army, as well as storage points for Ukrainian military equipment, temporary bases for Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries, killing and wounding over 1,000 people on different fronts, and destroying targets such as tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and cars of the Ukrainian army. The Russian air defense system shot down 95 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones.
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560343178084155956/
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