The Kremlin Says The US Has Provided Intelligence To Ukraine Periodically

Dmitry Peskov. (Source: Kremlin)

The Kremlin said on Thursday the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had periodically supplied intelligence to Ukraine, responding to Washington's report that it would provide intelligence on the targets of Russia's energy facilities to Kyiv.

The Wall Street Journal and Reuters reported Washington would provide intelligence to Ukraine regarding its remote energy infrastructure targets within Russia, as the US is also considering whether to send missiles to Kyiv that could be used in such attacks.

"The United States sends intelligence to Ukraine regularly online," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"The provision and use of all NATO and US infrastructure to collect and transfer intelligence to Ukraine is clear," he said.

Washington has long shared intelligence with Kyiv, but has not publicly expressed its participation in previous Russian energy installation attacks. Uncle Sam's country chooses to be careful to engage directly in attacks on Russia.

The White House did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on the report, which comes amid the strengthening of US President Donald Trump's rhetoric towards Russia less than two months after he hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska.

Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian refineries over the past two months, disrupting processing and triggering a sharp increase in crude exports from Russia, which is already the world's second-largest oil exporter.

The Wall Street Journal said the US move reported on intelligence sharing would make it easier for Ukraine to attack infrastructure such as refineries, pipelines, and power plants with the aim of seizing Kremlin revenue and oil.

The US is also considering Ukraine's demand for the Tomahawk cruise missile, which has a range of 2,500 km (1,550 miles), is easy enough to hit Moscow and much of Europe's territory if fired from Ukraine.

Earlier, after Ukraine fired US ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow missiles at Russia last year, President Putin ordered a firing of hypersonic missiles into Ukraine.

At that time, he said Russia had the right to attack military installations in countries that allow Ukraine to use their missiles to hit Russia. He also said Moscow could deploy its own missiles within the attack distance of Western countries if Russia was hit by an attack.