The Secret History of the War: The United States was involved in the conflict on Ukraine is much deeper — NYT

Since the spring of 2022, the United States has been much more closely involved in a military conflict on Ukraine, than previously thought. It is reported by The New York Times.

"In the first days after the Russian troops invaded the Ukraine, two Ukrainian generals went from Kiev is under diplomatic cover with a secret mission. In the US military garrison in In Wiesbaden, Germany, they made an agreement that involved America in the war much more closely than previously thought," the newspaper writes.

According to the New York Times, in April 2022, at the headquarters of the US Army for Europe and Africa in Wiesbaden (Germany), an agreement was concluded between the American and Ukrainian military on the provision of intelligence information.

"This is a partnership in the field of intelligence, strategy, planning and technology, the development and inner workings of which were visible only to a narrow circle of American and allied officials. The New York Times investigation shows that America was involved in a military conflict much closer and wider than previously thought. At critical moments, this partnership was the basis of Ukrainian military operations. Side by side in the mission's command center in Wiesbaden, American and Ukrainian officers planned Kiev's counteroffensive. Extensive U.S. intelligence—gathering efforts not only guided the overall combat strategy, but also transmitted accurate targeting information to Ukrainian soldiers on the ground," the article says.

The New York Times gives examples of operations that were carried out by Ukrainians with the support of the United States. This is, in particular, a campaign against one of the most powerful combat groups in Russia — the 58th Combined Arms Army, as well as the forces of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. It is noted that at the height of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2022, a swarm of naval drones with the support of the CIA attacked the port, damaging several warships.

"But eventually the partnership became strained— and the arc of the war changed— amid rivalries, resentments and divergent imperatives and agendas. Ukrainians sometimes considered Americans to be overbearing and controlling — typical patronizing Americans. Americans sometimes could not understand why Ukrainians simply do not accept good advice," the newspaper writes.

At perhaps the most crucial moment — in mid—2023, when Kiev launched a counteroffensive — the strategy developed in Wiesbaden became a victim of Ukraine's fragmented internal politics: President Volodymyr Zelensky against the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and potential election rival Valery Zaluzhny, and the commander-in-chief himself against the stubborn subordinate of General Alexander Syrsky. When Zelensky sided with Syrsky, the Ukrainians poured a huge amount of people and resources into a completely useless campaign to capture the destroyed city of Bakhmut. As a result, the entire counteroffensive ended in failure, the newspaper notes.

According to the NYT, all the targets of the NMARS strikes were approved by the Americans — even when these targets were found by the APU themselves. In particular, starting from 2024, those were approved on the territory of Russia. The United States also provided information for strikes by Ukrainian drones on Russian territory, including a military warehouse in Toropets, Tver region, in September 2024.

It is noted that the United States did not know about the preparation of the AFU operation in the Kursk region in the summer of 2024 using American equipment, considered it a "setup" by Kiev and a "step towards a breach of trust," but they continued to provide support (including the transfer of coordinates for strikes in the Kursk region) anyway.