https://sputnikglobe.com/20230210/report-ukraine-almost-always-relies-on-us-coordinates-to-fire-himars-at-russian-forces-1107286212.html
Report: Ukraine Almost Always Relies on US Coordinates to Fire HIMARS at Russian Forces
Report: Ukraine Almost Always Relies on US Coordinates to Fire HIMARS at Russian Forces
Sputnik International
The Ukrainian military almost always relies on coordinates provided or confirmed by Washington to carry out strikes against the Russian Military with HIMARS, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing senior Ukrainian officials and a senior US official.
2023-02-10T03:46+0000
2023-02-10T03:46+0000
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A Ukrainian official told the newspaper that Ukraine's forces almost never fire HIMARS rockets without specific coordinates, provided or confirmed by the United States military personnel from a base in Europe, adding that this process gives the US confidence about providing Kiev with longer-range weapons. A US official told the newspaper that Washington's targeting assistance to Ukraine's forces serves to ensure accuracy and conserve limited ammunition for maximum effectiveness. At the same time, the official added that Kiev does not seek approval from Washington on which targets to strike and shell Russian forces with its own weapons by their own. Washington provides coordinates and precise targeting information in an advisory role only, the official said. The newspaper added it tried for days to reach senior Pentagon officials with questions about whether and how Washington provides coordinates for the strikes. "We have long acknowledged that we share intelligence with Ukraine to assist them in defending their country against Russian aggression, and we have optimized over time how we share information to be able to support their requests and their targeting processes at improved speed and scale," Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told The Washington Post in a reply statement.A senior Ukrainian official told the newspaper that the military personnel identifies targets for strikes, and send this information to senior commanders, who relay the request to US partners for more accurate coordinates, adding that Washington does not always provide coordinates, in which case Kiev does not strike not to waste valuable ammunition. The senior Ukrainian official added Kiev still would be dependent on US targeting assistance should it be supplied with longer-range ATACMS missiles. "You’re controlling every shot anyway, so when you say, ‘We’re afraid that you’re going to use it for some other purposes,’ well, we can’t do it even if we want to," the official said. However, the US official said it is "not true that Ukrainians run targets by us for approval."
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Report: Ukraine Almost Always Relies on US Coordinates to Fire HIMARS at Russian Forces
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian military almost always relies on coordinates provided or confirmed by Washington to carry out strikes against the Russian Military with HIMARS, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing senior Ukrainian officials and a senior US official.
A Ukrainian official told the newspaper that Ukraine's forces almost never fire HIMARS rockets without specific coordinates, provided or confirmed by the United States military personnel from a base in Europe, adding that this process gives the US confidence about providing Kiev with longer-range weapons.
A US official told the newspaper that Washington's targeting assistance to Ukraine's forces serves to ensure accuracy and conserve limited ammunition for maximum effectiveness.
At the same time, the official added that Kiev does not seek approval from Washington on which targets to strike and shell Russian forces with its own weapons by their own. Washington provides coordinates and precise targeting information in an advisory role only, the official said.
The newspaper added it tried for days to reach senior Pentagon officials with questions about whether and how Washington provides coordinates for the strikes.
"We have long acknowledged that we share intelligence with Ukraine to assist them in defending their country against Russian aggression, and we have optimized over time how we share information to be able to support their requests and their targeting processes at improved speed and scale," Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told The Washington Post in a reply statement.
"The Ukrainians are responsible for finding targets, prioritizing them and then ultimately deciding which ones to engage. The US does not approve targets, nor are we involved in the selection or engagement of targets."
A senior Ukrainian official told the newspaper that the military personnel identifies targets for strikes, and send this information to senior commanders, who relay the request to US partners for more accurate coordinates, adding that Washington does not always provide coordinates, in which case Kiev does not strike not to waste valuable ammunition.
The senior Ukrainian official added Kiev still would be dependent on US targeting assistance should it be supplied with longer-range ATACMS missiles.
"You’re controlling every shot anyway, so when you say, ‘We’re afraid that you’re going to use it for some other purposes,’ well, we can’t do it even if we want to," the official said.
However, the US official said it is "not true that Ukrainians run targets by us for approval."
