US to expand intelligence assistance to Ukraine for strikes on Russian energy facilities

The Trump administration plans to provide additional intelligence to Ukraine to help Kyiv strike at oil and gas facilities inside Russia, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter.

It would be the first time the United States has expanded intelligence assistance to Ukraine since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the administration’s plans.

Trump’s rhetoric on Russia has shifted over the past month. He has criticized Moscow, calling it a “paper tiger” that has proved unable to defeat its smaller neighbor.

After Trump publicly clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, the United States suspended intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in March for about a week. The suspension rattled Ukraine’s government and European allies because Kyiv heavily relies on American intelligence for its war effort.

With increasingly sophisticated drones and missiles, Ukraine has stepped up sabotage attacks on pipelines, refineries and other energy infrastructure deep inside Russian territory. The attacks are beginning to inflict significant damage on Russia’s energy sector, analysts say.

U.S. intelligence could make those strikes even more effective, and Ukraine hopes the Trump administration will agree to its requests for longer-range U.S.-made missiles.

Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Sunday that the administration is considering Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of 1,500 miles.

In August, the administration announced the sale of Extended Range Attack Munitions for Ukraine, with NATO member countries buying the weapons on Kyiv’s behalf. Those missiles have ranges of 150 to 280 miles.

Russia played down the Trump administration’s plans to expand intelligence-sharing.

“The U.S. transmits intelligence to Ukraine on a regular basis online. The supply and use of the entire infrastructure of NATO and the U.S. to collect and transfer intelligence to Ukrainians is obvious,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

But Peskov warned the United States that any shipments of Tomahawk cruise missiles would represent “a new, serious round of tension that will require an adequate response from the Russian side.”

The missiles can travel up to 1,500 miles, putting Moscow in range.

In his annual foreign policy address Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country was in a conflict with all of NATO.

“Many countries are fighting against us. All the NATO countries are fighting against us. They’re no longer hiding it,” Putin said.

He warned the Trump administration not to greenlight the sale of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

“Can Tomahawks harm us? They can,” Putin said. “We’ll be shooting them down and improving our air defense systems.”

“Using Tomahawks without the direct participation of American military personnel is impossible. This would mark a completely new, qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the United States,” he added.

Putin also threatened Europe, where a series of drone incursions have put many countries on high alert.

“We are closely monitoring the growing militarization of Europe,” Putin said. “Russia’s response will not be long in coming. The response to threats, to put it mildly, will be very convincing.”