The USA convinced Ukraine to abandon attacks on Russian facilities on February 24

The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine planned attacks on a number of facilities in Russia, including Moscow, on February 24, the first anniversary of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. This was reported by The Washington Post, referring to secret documents of the US National Security Agency. They, as well as many other secret documents of American agencies, were previously published on the Internet, and American serviceman Jack Teixeira was arrested on charges of leaking them.

According to the publication with reference to the documents, two days before the alleged Ukrainian strikes, on February 22, the CIA reported that the GUR “agreed at the request of Washington to postpone strikes” on Russian territory. It is not clear what exactly the US department made the request and why Kyiv agreed to fulfill it. The official representatives of the USA and Ukraine have not yet commented on the publication of the Washington Post.

According to the publication, the head of the GUR Kirill Budanov told one of his subordinates that it was necessary to prepare for a “massive attack” on targets in Russia on February 24. The port of Novorossiysk was also mentioned among the possible targets, in addition to Moscow. It is not clear from the documents how exactly the Ukrainian military intelligence planned to strike.

As The Washington Post notes, the episode with the preparation of the strikes and their cancellation testifies both to Ukraine’s readiness to hit targets deep in Russian territory, and to the cautious approach of the United States to such tactics. A number of representatives of the US administration, writes the publication, fear that strikes on Russian territory, especially with the use of American weapons, may lead to escalation – for example, to the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia.

After the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, a number of objects on the territory of Russia were hit, including the strategic bomber airbase in Engels. The Russian authorities claimed that it was an attack by Ukrainian drones. Official Kyiv did not confirm or deny its involvement in these strikes. In an unofficial order, as the American mass media write, Ukrainian representatives gave the impression that it was Ukraine that caused them. Budanov himself, in particular, said that such strikes leave Russians feeling insecure, and predicted that “problems in Russia” will continue until Ukraine wins the war.

It also follows from the documents that the US intelligence community monitors Budanov’s communication channels – which, as The Washington Post writes, he knows.

The United States officially declared that American weapons should not be used for strikes on the internationally recognized territory of Russia. The drones that struck Russian airfields were Soviet-made.

Kirill Budanov was recently arrested in absentia by a Russian court, accused of preparing a terrorist attack. Apparently, we are talking about the explosion on the Kerch bridge on October 8, 2022, for which the Russian authorities blame the GUR. Budanov has repeatedly stated that in the near future Ukrainian forces will be able to start operations in the annexed Crimea, and the war may end with Ukraine’s victory by the end of 2023.