People familiar with US intelligence told CNN that US officials believe “those pro-Ukrainian operatives inside Russia carried out a drone attack targeting the Kremlin in early May.”
It is not known whether other drone attacks in recent days, including one on a residential area near Moscow and another on oil refineries in southern Russia, have been carried out by this pro-Ukrainian network.
It comes at a time when a spokesperson for Ukraine’s security chief told CNN that mysterious explosions and drone strikes inside Russia will continue.
“disturbing elements”
US officials say Ukraine has planted “subversive elements” inside Russia, made up of pro-Ukrainian operatives well trained in this type of warfare. It is believed that Ukraine supplied them with Ukrainian-made drones to launch attacks inside Russian territory rather than launching them from Ukraine. Officials do not know how Kyiv managed to supply its elements to Russia with its “drone”. But two of the sources told CNN that Ukraine has developed new smuggling routes to send drones, or at least aircraft components, to Russia.
Money does wonders.
A European intelligence official said that the Russian-Ukrainian border is vast and very difficult to control, which facilitates smuggling. “It’s a peripheral region for Russia. Survival is a problem for everyone, so money works wonders,” the official said. US officials believe Ukrainian intelligence elements are involved in these smuggling operations.
The culmination of months of effort
Russia has witnessed a number of mysterious fires and explosions over the past year, which have targeted oil and fuel depots, railways, military recruiting offices and pipelines.
And “CNN” to add: “However, officials have noted an upsurge in such attacks on Russian soil in recent weeks.”
He quoted a source close to intelligence as saying the new attacks appeared to be “the culmination of months of effort” by the Ukrainians to prepare the infrastructure for such sabotage operations.
A US intelligence report obtained by CNN revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had offered in late February to “hit Russian sites using drones, because Ukraine does not have long-range weapons.”
Smart military strategy
Senior administration officials have publicly condemned the strikes inside Russia, warning of the possibility of an escalation of the war.
But speaking exclusively to CNN, officials in Washington said they believe cross-border attacks are a “smart military strategy” that could lead Russia to bring back its military resources to protect its territory just as Kiev prepares. to a major counterattack.
On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told reporters that Ukraine “has the right to project force beyond its borders to undermine Russia’s ability to project power on Ukraine itself. -even”.
He added: “Legitimate military targets outside its borders are internationally recognized as part of the nation’s self-defense. We must realize this.
As Nicolas Fojour, chief of operations of the French joint staff, said on Friday: “Attacks inside Russia are only part of the war and offer the opportunity to send a message to the Russian people”.
He continued: “There is a war there, and it may affect you (the Russian people) in the future… So this is a good way for Ukrainians to send a message not only to Vladimir Putin, but to Russians, people too.”
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