Russian navy missile cruiser Moskva
(Picture: AP)The US shared intelligence with Ukraine about the location of Russian missile cruiser Moskva prior to the strike that sank the warship, according to reports.
Ukraine destroyed the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet using its own missiles on April 14.
An anonymous official has said the US had provided the Ukrainians with a “range of intelligence” that included the location of the ship.
The Biden administration has ramped up intelligence sharing with Ukraine alongside the shipment of arms and missiles to help it repel Russia’s invasion.
However, the unnamed official added that the US was not aware that Ukraine planned to strike the Moskva until after they conducted the operation.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said American agencies “do not provide intelligence on the location of senior military leaders on the battlefield or participate in the targeting decisions of the Ukrainian military.”
“Ukraine combines information that we and other partners provide with the intel that they themselves are gathering and then they make their own decisions and they take their own actions,” Kirby said.
The Moskva provided air defence during the military campaigns in Georgia and Syria. It was thought to be carrying 16 anti-ship Vulkan cruise missiles, as well as S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.
The Soviet-era Moskva was one of only three Slava-class cruisers in the Russian navy.
“Originally commissioned in 1979, the Moskva had completed an extensive refit designed to improve its capability and only returned to operational status in 2021,” the Ministry of Defence said following its sinking.
